How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful!
Song of Solomon 1:15
Yes, beloved ones—that
is God, the lover of our souls, passionately calling to each of us! Don’t turn
away from Him. I beg you.
Will we come to the One
Who calls us beautiful, daring to let Him see us unveiled, day in and day out? Even
when we are snared by the ugliness of doubt and shame? Or will I continue as a
denial diva in deceit (see Jeremiah 17:9)?
A bride’s veil
traditionally proclaims her modesty and purity. It testifies to her reverence
for God, and it reminds us of the Temple veil which was torn in two when Jesus
dies on the cross. The tearing of that veil, representing Jesus’ flesh, took
away the separation between God and man, allowing believers entry into the
presence of God!
To live unveiled is to
be exposed and vulnerable. The benefit of having an unveiled heart is that we
are able to experience deep intimacy with God our Creator.
Moses veiled his face
from his direct encounter with God so that the Israelites wouldn’t see the
radiance fade since their hearts were hardened. In contrast, when one turns to
the Lord, the veil is taken away. His work within us progressively and
continually transforms to vibrantly display His splendor (2 Corinthians
3:12-18). The veil is gone! Once for all! But—we have a choice...
Are we ready to offer
our unveiled hearts to God to allow Him complete access to our innermost being?
Even in the midst of pain and suffering? Especially then. When we willingly
offer our whole hearts to Him, we are admitting that we need Him.
C. S. Lewis, in The Problem of Pain. writes that pain
gives opportunity to remove the veil from our hearts.
Lord, I don’t want to waste my pain and sorrows. Use my suffering to
bring me closer to Your heart. Search me, O God, and know my heart... (Psalm
139:23).
Karen Sims
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