Day 199: Reflect Glory

2 Corinthians 2:5-3:18; 2 Kings 15-16; Micah 5:2-15

Paul gives a message of great hope in these chapters! He says that when someone sins, we should forgive them and make sure they know we love them. No where does it say to ridicule or condemn them. Our job is not to judge but to love and forgive. Great words to live by.

Have you every felt inadequate? Yep, Paul says that's fine. He says that "no one really has what it takes to do this work," but "by the power of Christ we speak our message with God as our witness." He goes on to say that "God gives us what it takes to do all that we do." Thank goodness that I don't have to rely on my own abilities and qualities to get Christ's message out there. God will take me and fill in all the gaps with his Holy Spirit to make it happen. I have to take the step but God will make it fruitful.

He also tells us that the Lord's Spirit sets us free. Free from what? From sin, from death, from the power of the Law. We aren't bound to the old way of life of having to make atonement for our own sins, for being burdened with earning our own salvation. Now, with Jesus, we are free and "our faces are not covered. They show the bright glory of The Lord as the Lord's Spirit makes us more and more like our glorious Lord." How awesome, that my face could (does) reflect the glory of my Savior! What if we lived our life for Christ in a way that people don't see Amanda, or Austin, or Bryan, but they see the glory and love of Christ? That is why those 12 disciples and the early church spread the message of The Lord so quickly. They reflected the glory of Christ and God was able to do great works and blessings through them.

The Old Testament is story after story of people failing to follow the Lord's commands completely. They may do a decent job here and there, but there is always compromise. Most of them obeyed God, but wouldn't destroy the shrines to other gods. They still allowed people to worship other deities. This makes for a divided and misled nation. They didn't stand up for The Lord when they should have. Ahaz in chapter 16 of 2 Kings sees an altar that he thinks is cool and has it built. He moves aside the altar that was built from the Lord's instructions and puts his in its place. He made God's house of worship a place of his own. He didn't honor God, but instead honored himself and his own desires. As Christians, let's honor God in the ways that please him, not in some made up ways that mean nothing to our Lord and actually destroy our witness.

I LOVE that there are prophesies of Jesus in the Old Testament! Check this out: "Bethlehem Ephrath, you are one of the smallest towns in the nation of Judah. But The Lord will choose one of your people to rule the nation--someone whose family goes back to ancient times...Like a shepherd taking care of his sheep, this ruler will lead and care for his people by the power and glorious name of The Lord his God. His people will live securely, and the whole earth will know his true greatness, because he will bring peace." Jesus was born in Bethlehem, his family line went back to Abraham, Jesus cared for his people, we have hope, and Jesus' name is known all over the earth. So cool!