Before You Begin
Pause. Quiet your mind, take a slow breath in and out. Stay in this moment.
Passage
Reading & Reflection
In the Old Testament, people believed God’s presence was so powerful that they couldn’t handle it directly. In their place of worship, there was a special inner room called the “Holy of Holies.” Only the high priest could go in, and only once a year. That was the ‘old covenant’ way people related to God.
Later, in the New Testament, after Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, everything changed. A follower of Jesus named Paul wrote about this in 2 Corinthians 3:17-18. The early church was learning how to live without Jesus physically being with them, but instead with God’s Spirit guiding them. Paul reminded them that in the Old Testament, after meeting with God, Moses’ face would glow so brightly that he wore a veil to cover it. People could only glimpse part of God’s glory, and it faded over time. Their access was limited.
You may have heard the song lyric, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” That comes from this passage. The idea is that the veil has been removed. We are free to turn toward God at any time. His face is turned toward us, and we need to take a step toward Him. And because of Jesus, we can freely come.
Think about what it’s like to be blindfolded and then surprised. You’re led into a room, the blindfold comes off, and suddenly you see a gift, or maybe a room full of people celebrating you. That unexpected joy is like the surprise of realizing the freedom we can experience in the fullness of God when we decide to surrender our lives to Him.
The blindfold is gone, we are invited to come in, come home. You are invited to turn your unveiled face to Him and experience being known by God personally. But it doesn’t end there; we are invited into freedom. We’re offered freedom from the spiritual blindness connected to pain and sin in our lives, and empowerment by the Holy Spirit to be transformed.
Bottom Line: The veil is torn, and the way is open—God invites us fully and freely home.
Morning Prayer
Lord, I am grateful that I can come to you without a veil or barrier. I turn to you. Teach me what it means to surrender to you as you transform me to be more like Jesus, by the power of your Spirit.
Evening Prayer
God, I end this day in awe of your glory. I see your glory in your creation, in your word, and in your people. I confess that, left to my own devices, I walk blindly away from you.
Help me turn to you. Help me to remember what Jesus has done in my place, and to receive freedom from your Spirit. Remind me of your glorious presence in my life when I am distracted. Your plan is greater than my plan. Your ways are more beautiful than mine. I turn and surrender my unveiled face to the beauty of you, Father, Son and Spirit. Amen.
