Living in a coastal town, Valerie loved warm weather, wildlife photography, and being in the water. Above all, she loved watching the sunrise over the ocean. Every morning, she woke up before dawn to catch a view of the water. Val estimated that despite cloudy weather or travel, she still managed to see more than 300 waterfront sunrises each year. She never tired of watching them. In her eyes, the sunrise held a glory she didn’t want to miss.
In Exodus, we read about Moses’ radiant face, literally reflecting his glorious encounter with the Lord (Exodus 34). Paul said that since Jesus came, there is an even more glorious ministry than what Moses experienced (2 Corinthians 3:7). It is the ministry of the Spirit, which brings righteousness (v. 9). God’s plan of salvation has permanent glory, surpassing anything that came before (v. 10), and we get to participate in it. Paul said, “We all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory” (v. 18). That ever-increasing glory is not dependent on how well we perform, but on the Holy Spirit. We, like the clouds at sunrise, just reflect a little more and a little better each day the glorious work that He is doing.