Spiritual. Highs. Hmmm.

This weekend was amazing yet I have my reservations about it. The last night of MOTION was insane... God's presence was definitely in Church of the Highlands and we could all feel it. I came home, on Saturday night, with a renewed energy that could only be from the Spirit of God. However, Sunday morning at church, I felt like something was lacking. I asked God this weekend to reveal himself to me and to show me his glory, much like Moses did in the OT. In Exodus 34:29-35, God came to Moses on the mountain top and spoke to him. When Moses went back down the mountain, the Israelites were afraid to look at him because his face was radiant. It shown with the glory of God from being in his presence. From then on, Moses would put a veil on his face while talking to the people of God because it was less distracting when the glory started to fade. Much like during and after a spiritual high, we tend to be on cloud nine while in the presence of God and then we crash, it can be distracting, not only to us who are sharing the faith, but to those who are hearing the faith as well.

Paul revisits this story about Moses in 2 Corinthians 3:13-17 when he is using the veil as a metaphor for what covers our hearts. I was a little confused on what was trying to be said in the scriptures, so I looked to my MacArthur study notes for a little more guidance. The physical action of Moses veil, described by Paul, is that Moses lacked the confidence and boldness that Paul had because the Old Covenant was shadowy and obscure. Paul then says that the same veil remains, yet it is over the heart. The veil represents unbelief; the Israelites had unbelief because they could not grasp the glory of the Old Covenant. Moses face was too bright to handle for they because they could not understand God. MacArthur states that, "The veil of ignorance obscures the meaning of the Old Covenant to the hardened heart."

Paul and Moses have shed new light on dealing with my spiritual high. I don't need to have a mountain top experience and to see little glimpse of God's glory. Moses was the only one who saw God and the rest of the Israelites hid their faces in fear of God. Yet, Paul states in the New Testament that since we have a new covenant with Jesus, we have everything. We have the confidence and boldness to approach God. Having the New Testament and a new life in Christ is how we are able to interpret and understand the Old Testament. Since our veil is lifted, we can see the glory of God in Christ.

Just living in a daily walk with Christ and in constant prayer with him is how I can remain in His glory always and not experience a crash after a Spiritual High. I believe that it is actually nicer to just live day to day in the glory of God through Christ rather just experience a once a year overly amazing Jesus experience. Although MOTION was awesome and it helped to renew my spirit, staying in daily communion with God is the only way that I can keep God's glory from fading in my life and be able to be the leader God has called me to be.