You know what it’s like to wake up in the morning, look out your window, and see heavy fog. Sometimes it’s so thick you can’t see anything. Trees are barely visible. The street is out there somewhere. Probably the first thing going through your mind is, “How am I going to see the road and other vehicles to drive?” Still, the view is captivating. The veil silently lingers over everything. In fact, it changes the landscape perspective. You are left to fill in opaque spaces with memory or imagination. Lines are no longer clear. Outlines barely visible. Boundaries blurry. And everything seems unsure. If only you could unveil the view.
It’s Hard To See Clearly Sometimes
The fog of the world interferes with clear vision. You are left to fill in spaces the best you can. Outlines and boundaries blur together. Life seems unsure, unpredictable, and unnavigable. It can be scary. You never know what will pop up right in front of you, and since you can’t unveil things, you feel you can’t let your guard down for a moment.
Living this way day in and day out feeds a high-strung approach to life. Fear and anger grow as you realize how little control you have. You hunger for simple and uncomplicated. Right and wrong are gray. A lingering, silent, ghostly veil covers the world as people strive to make the best of things. Folks take care of themselves first and most because they are just not sure anyone else will take care of them.
Love Letter
The principles that define right and wrong are determined by God. He gave the Ten Commandments to Moses.
They are simple and uncomplicated. They draw clear lines. Boundaries are defined for safety and godly living. They declare God cares deeply about you. He promises to show love to your generations if you/they love God back. Respect, manners, courtesy, mature responsibilities – all are laid out. (Ex. 20:2-17; Deut. 5:6-21)
Those precepts are credible. All eternity hinges on them. So glorious is the Author, that the Israelites couldn’t look at Moses as he read to them the commandments God gave. His face still shone with God’s holiness after receiving them. Moses was the first to hold stone-engraved messages that God intended to engrave on human hearts.
God’s Spirit brings glory to everything. He does not operate in a fog. Things in the past are surpassed with increasing glory. Let’s look at some examples from Scripture. The first covenant is surpassed by the second, final covenant. Condemnation is surpassed by forgiveness of sins and eternal life. The Old Testament daily shedding of blood to cover sins is surpassed by the once and final shedding of Christ’s holy blood for remission of all sins. The veil of the old covenant is surpassed by a torn veil (temple veil torn from top to bottom) as Christ’s broken body ushered in the new covenant. Jesus wants to unveil life.
Glory
Glory surpassing glory. It just gets better and better. The Spirit now offers friendship with God. Face to face. Freedom. Transformed people in God’s image with unveiled faces. This was unheard of in previous centuries. Now it is the eternal reality of Heaven.
Now life can have clarity. Healthy boundaries. Excellent standards of conduct. Opaque places filled in with God’s deep, abiding love. Clear direction for living. Peace even in turmoil. The lingering, silent, ghostly barrier is ripped away and replaced with quiet, powerful love.
God’s principles provide guidance. They keep you connected to God’s heart. And they form a safeguard around your pathway. This gives you hope. Life is challenging. Especially discouraging is the scenario where you have tried, and still seem to have missed the mark. It’s as if there’s a veil over your growth. This “curtain” keeps you from being who you should be.
Does Surrender Work For Everyone?
What do you do in this situation? How do you rise out of what has been and receive a new glory?
- By faith, turn to the Lord. “But I did, and it didn’t change me.”
- Do it again. Turn to the Lord. “I already believed and obeyed, and things didn’t go well.”
- Do it again. Turn to the Lord. Quiet surrender.
This needs to be your default. It’s how a redeemed person grows from glory to glory and is transformed. It takes time. No instant pudding. Ask God to take letters He once engraved on stone and engrave them on your heart. You must participate relentlessly in this process for it to become your own e-pistle.* Engraving takes time as you choose Christ over everything.
Miracles
When you set your eyes and heart on God, He has a way of turning things in your favor and for your good. When you persevere in surrender and prayer, God engraves His holiness on your heart. By submitting to His wisdom, even with unsolved issues, God works. He is for you!
If you want to know God more deeply, navigate life better, be rid of the obstructing veil, and live in freedom – patiently hope in the Lord. (Ps. 37:7-9) Take this step of faith and humility. Let go of reputation and calculation. Let turning to the Lord become your default. Unveil your heart to God.
How can you practice seeking God with all your heart, starting today? What veil do you need to tear down?
* This article, developed from 2 Cor. 3:7-18, is part of a great study tool: E-PISTLES for an I-GENERATION! This book takes a modern look at 1 and 2 Corinthians, letters Paul wrote to first century believers. Letters used to be engraved on parchment and scrolls. This 66 session study book shows that God wants to engrave His love and principles on human hearts. E-PISTLES provides deep encouragement and practical ways your life can be an “e-pistle” to the i-generation you live in. You will want to order a copy!
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