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 all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:16-18 NIV
Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.
2 Corinthians 3:16-18 MSG
God wants us to know Him intimately. It is not His objective that we do not see Him. He wants to pull the veil away so that we see Him and sense His closeness to us. The catch is that we cannot know Him unless we are close.
In our closeness we are able to get access to freedom. This is because where the Lord is, is where the Spirit is. In order to have freedom we must turn inward to the Spirit.
So then closeness equals freedom and freedom equals closeness. It is through our closeness that we are able to live fully and completely into God’s glory. His glory comes to us through our transformation.
When we are actively seeking to be close with God our minds and hearts are being transformed into His image. Our transformation is what brings us freedom. Our recognition that it is God through the Holy Spirit doing all that work in us is when we are able to lay down how we know to get by or get ahead. Instead we learn an ease of living as we continually turn to God.
Considerations for your planner:
- What does closeness in a relationship mean to you? Write that down and then ask yourself if that is the type of relationship you have with God.
A Prayer for Our Community:
Father, help us to draw closer to You today. We want the veil to be removed and we want to be in Your presence. We want to know You more deeply as we move through this life. We know that knowing You is the only way to truly be free. Help us to gain more freedom in our lives as we turn inward to the Spirit and are transformed to Your image. Amen.
Strengthen the Christian Planner Family by sharing your experiences and prayers. We'd love to hear a story or prayer about God's work in your life. Use the form linked below to submit your story.
