I remember my wedding day. It was July, 30th 1988. I remember that it was part of a summer that was the hottest and driest in a long, long time. I remember the church we were married in, and the limo that took us away after the ceremony. I remember a lot of things about my wedding day. But the thing I remember the most was how absolutely beautiful my bride was.
She took my breath away.
I remember her white dress and how she made it look so stunning. And I also remember her head piece: it wasn't a veil that covered her face but it was symbolic none-the-less. It was her crown of beauty that day!
I was thinking about that 'veil' that my wife wore, and then my thoughts meandered to the 'veil' that Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 3:15ff
"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 the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with every-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
Jesus describes His church as His 'bride'. And He knows how sin has put a 'veil' on our hearts, preventing us from seeing things clearly, and preventing us from experiencing the overwhelming love that Jesus has for us, His bride.
This is unacceptable for Jesus. He loves His bride far too much to allow her not to experience His overwhelming love for her. And so He comes to her and gently takes off the veil so she can see His love face-to-face.
And in that moment, our breath is taken away. . . .
I think it is entirely fitting for me to remember how I felt when I saw my bride in all her glory, with her unveiled face looking at me and how that look poured deep into my soul--the joy, the beauty, the love and the thought of "I can't believe she picked me!!!"
That's exactly what Jesus desires his church bride to feel.
I'm so glad that the veil of my heart is taken away so I can see the real Jesus, and experience the profound joy of being united with Him.
Enough said.
BT
