Unveiled Faces

As I was having devotions this morning I came across the following passage and thought that I might share with you what God showed me.

II Corinthians 3:15-18 - "Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect[a] the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

God has given us His written Word, but how often do we read it with veiled hearts? We read it with our mind, but don't understand it with our hearts. We read it without understanding the spiritual truths that God has for us in it. We read it without it impacting and changing our lives. We read it without receiving a fresh word (Rhema word) from the Lord.

To hear, see and understand what God is saying to us, we must first turn to Him. The unbeliever will never understand the things of God. Also, a Christian who does not turn his face towards the Lord, he will never fully receive from God. He will never be fully transformed.

What does it mean turning our face towards God? It means stop looking at others. Some times we are so preoccupied with what others are doing or not doing, we miss what God has for us. It means stop looking at your self. Many times we are so focused on our goals, desires, and problems, we don't see God's goals, desires and solutions.

What is our part? Determine to set our hearts and minds on Christ. It is important to see here in the passage that the Lord removes the veil, not us. This does not exclude our involvement. Our involvement is positioning ourselves and getting out of God's way. We are to look upon Christ with a humble heart. We are to honestly look at our heart motives and thoughts. This means not covering up or making excuses. An unveiled face is one that puts everything that would hinder aside and seek the Lord with all our hearts.

The veil that God removes is not sin or even self centeredness. The veil is a darkness in our understanding of who Christ is and the truths that are in Him. There are those who strictly obey God's Word but don't know God.

What is the result of an unveiled face? We reflect the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into His image. This can only be accomplished through the Spirit of God. The other result is freedom. You are not working to be saved or to find God's favor, but you are experiencing God's saving grace. The law is no longer your master, but your servant.

Let us turn our face to the Lord!