Day 9

Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 2 Corinthians 3:12-13

Last Friday was Marti’s birthday and I cruised right on by it. Not that I forgot, but I didn’t plan far enough ahead so as to be ready for it. So when it came, there wasn’t enough time or money to pull anything off, so it went by with something from her children and a Happy Birthday song from her granddaughter, but nothing from me. And on the next day, I tried to veil my knowledge of her disappointment and go on with business as usual — even had a little time of prayer in the morning, like I was some spiritual giant, a good evangelical veil for cover-up. But it didn’t work. My veil came down when she broke down about how sad and hurt she was that I hadn’t seen her as important enough to celebrate. Add to this the fact that I know birthdays and Christmases are a big deal to her. This was a major mess-up and I thought I could slip by unscathed.

So the veil came off and what is left now is a chance to make it up next weekend.

The new covenant is all about transparency. It’s about living without any cover-up so that we are dealing with reality. Yes, we see our mess-ups and our inadequacies, but we also see God’s presence, His forgiveness and His second chances (and third and fourth if that’s what it takes). We walk in truth, not in lies and manipulations. We are not like Moses, we are bold with nothing to hide.

For more on Moses, veils and transparency, go to www.facebook.com/thecatch and scroll down to last night’s church. And then come back here for today’s questions in this ninth day of our 21-day Challenge.

21 Day Challenge

Day Nine

The Coming Out Party

2 Corinthians 3:12 — 13

12. Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.

13.We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away.

Background Understanding —  Exodus 34:29-35.

Moses receives the old covenant from God on Mt. Sinai. Having been with God, his face was glowing with the brightness of the glory. The Israelites ask Moses to put a veil over his face to hide the dazzling light. With the veil covering Moses’ face, they also could not see that brilliant light was fading.

Contrasting Boldness is the mark of anyone trusting in the new covenant. We become bold or confident. We are open – right out front with nothing to hide. We are transparent.

For your consideration

1. The reason for this transparency is:
2. Have you ever had the feeling that you are not measuring up to other’s expectations or your own expectations or God’s expectations? Take some time to identify a time when you felt that you had done all that you thought God wanted yet something inside of you said, “Does God think that I have done what he wants? Describe your feelings (guilty or innocent; a failure or a success; a sense of boredom or emptiness or satisfied and full; sense of futility or useful).
3. Have you ever been a Christian who says, “My Christian life is not very exciting. I find it rather boring, kind of empty”?
4. Do you think that bored Christians have spent a great deal of their lives trying to live up to what God demands and that, perhaps, it is in the attempting that produces the sense of guilt and emptiness within us? Explain.

Paul has been telling us the Law has come to kill, to show to us how completely useless it is for us to try hard to obey God. The Law has come to make that real, to show us how absolutely futile it is to try.