TRANSFORMATION
And He said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
Exodus 3:6 (ESV)
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.
Exodus 34:29 (ESV)
Exodus 3:6 and 34:29 present us with what you might call a how it started versus how it’s going snapshot of the life of Moses. Scripture tells us that when God spoke to Moses out of the burning bush, Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God. That’s right. The man we’ve been studying as our example of intimacy with God started out hiding his face in fear of God. Fast forward to Exodus 34, and we find Moses’ face shining after having spent forty days and nights on Mount Sinai talking with God.
This goes to show us that it doesn’t matter how you start. Intimacy with God is possible. As Moses stepped forward in obedience to what God called him to do and made himself available to God, he came to know God more deeply by experiencing God’s work through him. This produced both an inner transformation between him and God and an outer transformation that others could see. By Exodus 34, Moses’ face literally radiated after having been in the presence of God, and everyone around him noticed.
A life lived in the company of God can’t help but shine. As you walk closely with God, your desires, attitudes and behaviors begin to transform, and your life will reflect His glory to the world around you. You may not even realize you’re changing, but don’t minimize the shift. It’s often a one degree of glory to another kind of change, as 2 Corinthians 3:18 puts it. One degree doesn’t sound like a lot, but one degree a day over a lifetime will add up to a radical transformation.
APPLICATION: Which face of Moses do you identify with more today: hiding from God, or shining from God? Wherever you are today, ask the Lord to move you one degree.
PRAYER: God, I want my life to radiate Your glory. May it be obvious to everyone around me that I walk closely with You. Keep transforming me from one degree of glory to another. Amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?