2 Corinthians 3:7-12 Basking in God’s Glory
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: April 20, 2020 2 Corinthians 3:7-12
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. Since we have such a hope, we are very bold,
(Understanding the Text) Glory is one of those words that I have a hard time getting my mind around. By one definition, it is a light surrounding God, or the sun for that matter. We speak of a glorious sunrise and how humans cannot be around the glory of God and live. On the other hand, Jesus called being on the cross, being glorified. When I studied it before, I learned that glory is simply God’s goodness emanating from Him.
(Revelation of God) When we glory in something, we feel proud and joyful about it. Here Paul says that there was a glory in the old covenant that came before Jesus. He speaks of that glory making Moses’ face bright. Paul says that there is even more glory in the new covenant that Jesus formed with His own blood. However, there is no physical shining here. Paul says that it is even more glorious, but physically it is not, so glory is not in the physical appearance. I guess Paul is saying that God’s goodness is demonstrated and lives in us even more now that the Spirit is in us than before through the old system of the temple. In the old system, the shekinah glory dwelt within the most Holy place, and there were times when the priests or even Moses could not come near. With Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Spirit lives in us. Thus, the shekinah glory lives in us. God’s goodness is His Spirit? Is the shekinah, the radiation that comes from God, the Spirit? I will have to think some more about that idea.
Paul says that this existence with the glory of God within us is permanent. Since we know that we are God’s permanently, we can be bold. This is the problem with too many people. They are unsure of their standing with God and lack faith in His commitment to them, so they are tentative and lack confidence in their ability to face the future. Paul says we can be confident and bold because the new covenant of God’s glory, the ministry of the Spirit, is permanent. It will never fail. The Spirit will always commit to us. The only way He will leave us is if we refuse Him a place. That is grieving the Spirit.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that I too often lack faith in God’s commitment to me. I am too tentative and lack confidence in my ability to face the future. Give me the confidence and boldness that are needed to demonstrate Your love to the world. Help me to always grasp on to the knowledge that You love me. You LOVE ME. Help me to believe in Your ever present love and act in that belief.