What exactly does it mean to glorify God. The Amplified Bible says that she recognized, thanked and praised God. Her connection to God went from participation in a ceremony to an experience that she could know, feel and understand. Her knowing of God became an undeniable, obvious experience to her and to everyone who knew her.

Luke 13: 10-17

Verse 13     And He laid His hands upon her; and immediately she was made erect again, and began glorifying God.

…immediately she was made erect again, and began glorifying God.

She was made erect again.  Think of what transpired in just the few seconds that it took for Jesus to touch her and transfer the power that was in Him to her deformed body.  She had been viewing whatever was under foot, being unable to ‘straighten herself up or look upward’ (Amplified Bible)  Now in a moment of time she is made erect and is able to see everything around her as others did, free from the bond of sickness that had identified her life and existence for the last 18 years.

Surely, these moments became the centerpiece of her identity from that moment on.
Surely she would repeat each detail tirelessly from then on to everyone she met.
Surely, everyone who looked at her would wonder how she could be the same person.

…..and began glorifying God.

She was a daughter of Abraham, in the place of worship where she had most likely been often in the past.  In our story, Jesus makes no mention of forgiving her sins, as He does in some other healing encounters, so I have to believe that she was a believer already.  I am sure that worship of the Living God was her practice and that it was sincere and heartfelt.  But now, she begins to glorify God.

What exactly does it mean to glorify God.  The Amplified Bible says that she recognized, thanked and praised God.  Her connection to God went from participation in a ceremony to an experience that she could know, feel and understand.  Her knowing of God became an undeniable, obvious experience to her and to everyone who knew her.

She had to start some where and so do we.  She went to the place of worship, participated wholeheartedly and responded to the best of her ability.  When Jesus called her, she responded to his voice and put herself close to him where she could experience His healing touch.  She became a woman, whose public glorifying of the God, who was the author of her transformation, resulted in rejoicing and praise to God by others in great numbers.  (verse 17 ….the entire multitude was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him.)

Start where you are dear friend.  Put one foot in front of the other and regardless of the pain or difficulty involved, get yourself into position before God.  Whatever infirmity you carry with you into his presence is one He has seen before, and even if Satan is the author of your ‘sickness’, Jesus knows it completely.  Let Him touch you with his healing power, and move from a ceremony of worship to and experience of glorifying God because of all He has done to transform you.  Let others know and see what He has done, and they will respond by praising God as well.

Lord,  Today I long to have the identifying marks of your transformation on my face, in my body, and in my words.  Touch me with your healing power so that I can look up and ‘see’ as you have intended me to see.  Change my worship into and experience that glorifies and exults the Living God.  Amen