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Be holding the glory of the LORD does not lead to a “happy” state, but a radical transformation, full of pure joy. There are many ways to define joy. Joy isn’t just a smile or a laugh. Joy is something that is deep within and doesn’t leave quickly. When we have the joy of the Lord, we’ll know it and so will others. Joy is given by God and something that He wants us to have

We see that “those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed” (Psalm 34:5). Reading this verse I cannot help but to think of the martyr Stephen. Before he was martyred “all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15). How did this occur? It goes on to say… Stephen, being “full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55).

How did this occur exactly? We can gain a greater insight by examining 2 Corinthians 3:18, where it says:

“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”. In the verse just before this we see that “the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”.

The joy that is offered to us is found ONLY in the presence of the Lord. Having our minds entirely fixed upon the glories above, and not of this world. WHERE the Spirit of the Lord is there is the “fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). To behold the glory of the Lord we must have an eternal mindset. May the Lord grant us a renewed mind.

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.” – Helen Lemmel

When we are captured by His beauty, His majesty, His glory, we will be transformed from one degree of glory to another. We will have an unveiled face that is radiant to the world as be look upon Jesus. We MUST continually dwell in the house of the Living God all the days of our lives.