Fresh Bread # 115
PAUL’S VEIL
“But their minds were blinded…which veil is done away
in Christ.”
2 Corinthians 3:14
 
THIRD WRITING ABOUT
THE VEILS
This is my third
writing about “the veils”, but your Bible is full of veils, especially about
the Veil in the Temple. Paul’s veil is my favorite because it offers such
hope…and like our Lord, I enjoy saving the best for the last.
SAUL, SAUL, WHY PERSECUTEST
THOU ME?
How many times as
humans, have we asked this question? I have asked it often when I only meant
good for someone but they took it as evil. (Genesis 50:20). I wondered why
they couldn’t see the goodness of God that I saw.
REMEMBER OUR PRAYER THIS WEEK?
God said, “Pray that I will lift the veils.”
God is faithful to
do what we cannot do in the natural. He is faithful to answer our prayers when
we pray according to His will.
In our limited
vision, we often think God expects us to lift all the veils of the blind and
unknowing. But there are times when God Himself reaches a chosen vessel
without our physical help.
SAUL DID NOT KNOW JESUS
No man or woman is
more deceived than the one who thinks they are right…apart from the Word of
God. Especially the zealous who walk the ways of the world or in their own
righteousness.
No man was more
zealous and determined than Saul. God knew this because He created Saul and
had plans for him. Zealous! Zealous! Zealous! Yes, very zealous!
Acts 9:1 says, “And
Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the
Lord went unto the high priests.” And sought permission to do the Christians
more harm.
Saul was so fired
up in his quest to destroy the Christians that no one could stop him…except
God.
BUT GOD DID
No man could stop
Saul, but at God’s appointed time…He met Saul and got his attention in a way
that no one else could.
Verse 3 says,
“SUDDENLY there shined about him a light from Heaven;…” and he heard the
voice of Jesus speaking to him. Then, Saul recognized Jesus as his Lord.
When Saul said in
verse 6, “Lord, what will Thou have me do?”, it was a sign of his acceptance of
God. And is a sign of all sincere Christians.
A CHOSEN VESSEL
Acts 9:15
Jesus said in Verse
15, “He (Saul/Paul) is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My Name before the
Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.”
WHEN AND WHY
DID
GOD CHOOSE PAUL?
Did God chose Saul
because of his good works and zealous attitude toward religion? I think not.
No! God always had
a plan for Paul. Even before the world began, Paul had been chosen by God for
God’s purpose. Saul was never out of God’s sight. He knew exactly everything
that Saul was doing. And God was working all things together for good for us.
(Romans 8:28).
God has also known
us and has a special plan for each of our lives. (Jeremiah 29:11). Oh, how we
Praise Him for the day He met us on our personal Damascus Road and shined His
Light of Truth on us, removing our blinders like He did Saul’s.
A NEW NAME
In honesty, I wish
someone could tell me more about the changing of Saul’s name to Paul. All I
know is that after the blinders were removed from Saul, he became known as Paul
and was a new man in Christ Jesus, with a New Name. Oh, what JOY to see the
Truth: Jesus is Lord.
A SERVANT IN THE WINGS
Of course “wings”
here is a term used in theater production. God had already prepared Ananias to
come on the scene and stage of Paul’s life. Once God got Saul’s attention and
he was converted , God had a servant ready to walk the next step with Paul.
Ananias put his
hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared to
you in the way…has sent me, that you might Receive your Sight and be filled
with the Holy Ghost.” (verse 17).
“And immediately there fell from his (Saul’s) eyes as it had been scales; and he received
sight, forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.”
CAN WE SEE?
Can we SEE
now, that God is well able to meet our loved ones on their road of life? It
could be that your loved one is a chosen vessel of God’s who thinks they are
doing right.
I believe that God
had already scheduled His appointment with Saul/Paul and is well able to speak
to the heart of our loved one Himself.
Surely that is why
God gave us the prayer for this week. Remember. He said, (by His Holy
Spirit), “PRAY that I will lift the veils.”
HOPE
I pray this Fresh
Bread message gives you hope; knowing that God may use us by our prayers to
lift the veils of the blind. But, He doesn’t have always use us physically.
He created the
world without us, and He can reach and save a soul without our physical
presence. But, He knows it’s in us to want to help. So, in some cases,
the very best we can do is to obey and:
PRAY
“That God Will Lift The Veils.”
And oh, what JOY;
when we SEE that this veil is done away in Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:14). Not
by our might or power, but by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah
4:6).
  
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