Scripture for today:  II Corinthians 3:15-16  “Yes, down to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies upon their minds and hearts.  But whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is stripped off and taken away.”

Wedding veils are so pretty and they give an aura of mystery to the bride.  During the Elizabethan era there were plenty of arranged marriages among the nobility.  It was not unheard of for the groom to see his bride for the first time when he lifted that veil during the ceremony!

Our verse today talks about a veil that blinds people spiritually.  It was there even though these people were listening to the Word of God.  The veil was keeping them from understanding.  It was obstructing their view of the Truth.  The veil remained there until they turned to the Lord in repentance.  Once that happened, the veil was no longer an issue.  It was then stripped off and taken away.

I sometimes hear people complain that they can not understand the Bible.  This is not surprising as the natural man can not accept or understand the things of the Spirit.  They are spiritually discerned.   (ICor.2:14)  There is a veil in place over the mind and the heart of those who do not yet belong to Him.

The good news is that this veil can be removed.  We do not tear it off.  We do not have that ability.  It is done for us by the Lord when we turn to Him.  He is willing and waiting to welcome us.  He wants to reveal Himself to us through His Word.

What a wonderful moment it is when He lifts that veil and we see Him face to face, our loving Groom.

Scripture for Today :                  

Deuteronomy 10: 12-13  “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, To keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?”

It felt really good to be asked for a recipe the other day.  It is more often the case that I am asking my French friends for their recipes!  It is not easy to convert all my American measures into the metric system, however.  And of course, the cooking vocabulary is very precise.  But I felt flattered enough to stick with the translation.

I did not worry about all the verbs being in the command form.  It is a recipe after all.  I did not bother writing, “please beat the eggs.”  Or “would you mind chopping the nuts.”  But no one is offended.  We are directive because we know that it is for a good result.  We follow the commands to obtain that positive result.

Our verse today is full of commands.  There is no softening of what God requires of us.  But His commands are always with a good goal.  They are always for our good and for our protection.  We know that because HE is good.  It follows that His commandments are too.

The attitude that King David had towards God’s commandments was one of delight in keeping them!  He understood that His directives were an expression of His love and care.  If God’s commandments are really for my good, then why am I always trying to change the recipe?

(Thanks to Catherine Koning for this recipe idea!)

Scripture for Today:  II Corinthians 1:20  “For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.”

We live in an area of France where there is a fair amount of rain.  The upside is that we can enjoy the rainbows too!  This one is a double, although the second one is very faint.

When I see a rainbow, I think about God’s promises.  What a beautiful reminder it is that unlike us, God keeps His Word.  He has promised to never again send a world-wide flood to judge mankind.  But I not only think of this promise, but of others too.

Our verse today talks about the many promises of God.  And there are so many in Scripture.  Every one of
them is sure.  The word “amen” means “so be it.”  Because of His faithfulness we can have the confidence that it will be!  Our “amen” expresses this confidence.

My favorite promises have to do with His love for me.  It is eternal and never changes.  He does not love me more tomorrow than today because His love is unconditional.  His love for me does not improve with time as He IS love.  His love is already perfect and an attribute of who He is.

There are so many other promises He gives us as His children: joy, peace, strength, victory over sin, His presence, meeting our needs…….the list goes on.  They are all YES.  Our verse tells us that we glorify God by agreeing with Him that He will fulfill His promises.

Normally, I am a sun-loving Californian.  But let it rain.  The next time I see a rainbow I will say, “Amen!”

Scripture for Today:  Psalms 77:11-12  “I shall remember the deeds of the Lord;  surely I will remember your wonders of old.  I will meditate on all Your work and muse on Your deeds.”

There are plenty of cows in our area of France.  But then for a country with so many varieties of cheese, it stands to reason they would be everywhere!  It is fun to hear  the cow bells clanging.  Sometimes I feel like I live in the setting of a novel.

These cows are eating but it will be a very long time before they are finished.  Chewing their cud seems to take forever.  Their hay and grass is brought up from their stomachs back to their mouths to be chewed again, and again!  Their food is not completely digested until it has been brought up 62 times!

Our verse today talks about remembering, meditating and musing on all of the Lord’s wondrous works.  Memories are short.  One can hear and read of the miracles the Lord has done and yet forget them entirely.  Meditating is like chewing cud.  The truths in Scripture need to be digested again and again before they have an impact on our lives.

There are plenty of moments in the day where my mind is inactive or on “pilot.”  It takes an effort of the will to turn my mind to spiritual things and ruminate on His goodness.  But what a blessing when I do!  If it takes the cow 62 times to digest something, I wonder how long I need to meditate on a verse for it to “stick!”  I have the feeling it is more than 62 times!  There are no loftier thoughts than thoughts of Him.  He is worthy of all my thoughts.

Lord, keep me meditating on You and Your Word throughout this day.