Transformed

Published 1/7/20

Read 2 Corinthians 3:18

"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."

Reflect

What image are we being transformed into? How is Jesus changing your life?

In spite of what you may have been told, Jesus is not a myth or irrelevant. And He is not a God of the past who spun the world into existence and then left mankind to fend for ourselves. Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us.

Through the years, as I've grown in my faith and have nurtured fresh vision of the Savior, everything in my life has been transformed: my marriage, my thinking and perspective, my relationships, my career, and my mission in life.

Of course, my problems didn't disappear the day I committed my heart to Jesus. In fact, the challenges of life kept nipping at my heel. My son was diagnosed with asthma; I had an active five-year-old and three-year-old and a newborn to care for; and three weeks after she was born, we had moved to a new city where I didn't know anyone. But now I was aware that I did not have to handle mothering, my son's asthma, the kids' earaches or chicken pox, or life alone anymore, and it made all the difference.

And though circumstances hadn't changed, it was as if I had taken off dark glasses. The grass seemed an emerald green, the sky more vividly blue. I was filled with wonder and gratitude. Things I'd encountered hundreds of times--monarch butterflies and sunsets, a basket of green apples, and new days--now were amazing to me. I was awed by the marvelous gift of my children and husband and experienced a new love for them and for people around me.

And as I grow in my faith, I've found a deepening love for the Bible. Struck by the relevancy in this Living Word, I often get up early each morning to read it, page by page, chapter by chapter, and line by line. I hear God speak to me in the verses and find it true over and over that "the Word that God speaks is alive and active; it cuts more keenly than any two-edged sword: it strikes through to the place where soul and spirit meet, to the innermost intimacies of a man's being: it examines the very thoughts and motives of a man's heart" (Hebrews 4:12 Phillips).

Pray

Lord Jesus, thank You for giving us Your Living Word. Teach me, guide me, transform me. Amen.