II CORINTHIANS 3:14-18: “…For to this day, at the reading of the old covenant, the same veil remains; it is not lifted, because it is set aside only in Christ. Yet still today, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts, but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.” CSB
OBSERVATION: Have I stopped growing? Are my concepts of life and God set in stone? Is my heart mailable and teachable before the Lord? When I read these verses I must pause and seriously consider these questions.
There is a trap we can fall into when reading the Scriptures. I like to call it the “backseat trap.” It is the misconception that we have arrived and that we understand all things. We are sitting in the backseat and critiquing the driver. When we read the stories of God’s people in the Old and New Testament we are more like the Pharisee than the tax collector in the Temple. We have fallen into the the trap of spiritual pride.
“Why, I am not proud!” – my heart cries out. Yet, when I approach the Holy Scripture with anything but a humble and teachable heart, I am proud. When I begin to think that I have mastered the concepts and doctrines of God’s Eternal Word, I have begun to put a veil over both my eyes and my heart. This is what Paul declares happened to the Jewish nation. And, this is what can easily happen to me!
- “Yet still today, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts, but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.”
The only way I can maintain a mailable and teachable heart is to daily turn to the Lord. Jesus is the only one who can remove the veil of pride from our spiritual eyes. We must come to Him daily with the heart and attitude of a child. Children come with an open heart to discover things that they never have known before. They also come with a trusting heart, knowing that the one’s they love will never lead them astray. This is why Jesus said,
- “…Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” After taking them in his arms, he laid his hands on them and blessed them.” Mark 10:14-16 CSB
I have a study Bible that is all marked with underlining and cross references from my years of study. It hi-lites the many discoveries that I have made in my study of Scripture. However, I do not read this Bible anymore for my daily devotions. In fact, each year, I pick a new version of the Bible and read a new, unmarked copy. I do this so that my former discoveries do not hinder me from the new discoveries that the Lord wants to unveil in my heart. And this morning it was a reminder of how easily my heart can become veiled without the daily unveiling and ministry of the Holy Spirit in my life!
- “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
As we approach the Lord and His Word, with an unveiled heart (a humble, mailable, and teachable heart), wonderful things begin to be revealed to us through the Holy Spirit. They are not new truths, or a change to the revelation of Scripture. They are truths that we need for the moment. They are truths that we could not see before because our eyes were veiled in that area. They are new revelations of God’s nature and character that lead us into freedom!
And the Holy Spirit does this gently, faithfully, and progressively. He begins to transform our hearts and lives, inch by inch, degree by degree, day by day! How can we know this is happening? It is when we begin to receive those “light bulb” moments that move us closer to Christ. It is when He increases and we decrease. It is when we are growing in freedom.
It is when the glory of the Lord becomes our fascination and our destination!
Father, thank you for giving your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, my Lord! Jesus, thank you for baptizing me with the Holy Spirit in power! Holy Spirit, thank you for Your daily ministry of revelation in my heart, as You open my eyes to discover the truth in Christ. Set me free! Transform me! Take away the veil from my heart so that I can truly see!
- “…I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19 CSB
In Jesus Name!
