“You are just glowing.” This was what people would tell me thirteen years ago after I had announced that I was pregnant with my first child. Honestly, it is a fairly common phrase that is said to women who are pregnant. I had always just thought it was a cute phrase that was said showing the happiness of someone who is going to be a mother. However, I recently learned that while yes, many of these women are probably ecstatic to be mothers, there is actual scientific evidence related to this “glow.” Termed “pregnancy glow,” this is an actual change in skin condition due to the increase of hormones during pregnancy. The increase of these hormones can make your glands produce more oil, which in turn puts off a “glow.” It is so interesting to think that this life event has a glow effect on many mothers. These mothers are glowing because they are encountering new life.
In the Old Testament we see a man who encountered God and it left him glowing. God had told Moses to go up on Mount Sinai to meet with him. This was actually the second time Moses had gone up a mountain to inscribe God’s covenant after he had smashed the first ones when the people were worshipping the golden calf. Moses goes up on the mountain and he stays there with the Lord for forty days and forty nights as God wrote the terms for the covenant.
“When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the Lord. So when Aaron and the people of Israel saw the radiance of Moses’ face, they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called out to them and asked Aaron and all the leaders of the community to come over, and he talked with them. Then all the people of Israel approached him, and Moses gave them all the instructions the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai. When Moses finished speaking with them, he covered his face with a veil. But whenever he went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with the Lord, he would remove the veil until he came out again. Then he would give the people whatever instructions the Lord had given him and the people of Israel would see the radiant glow of his face. So he would pull the veil over his face until he returned to speak with the Lord.” Exodus 34:29-35
Moses had an encounter with God and he left differently. Every time he would meet with the Lord he would come out with noticeable differences. He always left changed after spending time with God. And every time, others would notice. They would know that Moses had been spending time with the Lord as they could see the glow on his face. Can people see a noticeable difference in me because I spend time with the Lord? Do I have enough daily encounters with God to leave glowing?
Just recently I really saw a “glowing” change in someone who had been transformed by Christ. Now, don’t get me wrong. There have been many times in my life where I have seen someone give their life to Christ and their behaviors, words, and actions change. Recently, however, I saw a woman give her life to Christ and I was able to notice “the glow” in her. This woman had been bound by religion for many years and did not have a relationship with Christ. Most of the time when I saw her previously, she seemed worn. After seeing her give her life to Christ, I can truly see a physical change in her countenance. Her face was genuinely glowing from her inward transformation. I was thankful that I was able to share this transformation story with her and encourage her that I can physically see a difference in her life from her salvation. Can people say the same about us? Can a lost world tell that we have been spending time with God because we are radiating His qualities? I pray that we take the time to spend with God and that we are truly changed because of our encounters with Him.
This devotional was written by Amy Carrico of Making the Moments Matter. Click HERE to follow her on Facebook!
Last Updated on February 10, 2025
Leave a Reply