Your Veil

Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city. — Ruth 3:15

Boaz said remove your veil. He filled it with food. She went into the city.

Boaz is calling on Ruth to remove the covering from her face that has protected her. The veil spoke and she didn’t have to. It has been the way she coped and communicated. But now, moving forward, if she wanted to move forward, her coping skills would have to change. Her story would have to be reframed.

The Veil is Her Past

Ruth’s veil was her story. It represented her past. Her veil communicated to the world her grief and loss. It covered her face, hiding her tears and worry. But it also hid her story. It blocked her testimony. It stifled her words. When Boaz said for her to remove the veil, he was saying it is time to move forward into the next chapter. He was calling her out of her past and into her future, giving her permission to grow.

God is doing the same for you, even as you read this. He is saying for you to shed your veil. Move past your grief and your pain and your fear. Remove your veil and see your future.

The Veil is the Vessel

This veil also represents the vessel that God will use to get glory. For Ruth, it represented her testimony, her story. Boaz fills the veil with food. He gave her provision that would sustain her and Naomi.

God will do the same for you. He says give me your story and I will fill it with my Spirit. It will feed you. I will fill your suffering with my Love and it will sustain you and feed your people. Your past is the very thing that will hold the provision for your future. Your story is the vessel that God can use to reach others.

It was Ruth’s veil. It is your fertility issues or divorce or abuse or job loss or addiction. Don’t hide your veil, let God fill it.

The Veil is Her Identity

Lastly, the veil that covered Ruth’s face hid her identity. She was a stranger in a new land. She was a widow. She was working the fields. So much about her life had changed that she had forgotten who she was. Boaz called her out and said remove your veil.

God is saying to you , “Daughter, remove your veil.”

It is time that you remember who you are. You may feel like your past has labeled you. You may feel like your circumstance has made you less than. You may feel as though your age or body or womanhood or motherhood or speech or bank account have given you reason to hide or disqualified you from your future. Let us not forget God used Rahab, a harlot, to birth the family tree of Jesus, and Moses, the man that murdered an Egyptian, led God’s people into their destiny. No veil is too dark for God to see through. No veil is too heavy for God to remove. No veil too dirty for God to use.

Daughter it is time to remove your veil and see your true identity as one made in the image of God, a special possession, the apple of His eye.

It’s Time to Remove Your Veil

This veil that covered Ruth’s identity, showing only her past suffering to the world, was also the conduit that held God’s blessings for her future. God is saying to you, at this moment, “The veil you used to disguise yourself when you came to Me, you no longer need it. No longer do you need to hide. Your tears have been a witness for you. Let me bring restoration. The very thing that you used to hide your identity, now carries your abundance. Your sorrows have given birth to blessings. Your past hurt and trials have created in you perseverance and resilience, but you can’t see any of this unless you take off the veil. Stop looking into a future through a dark lens. Lift your head and look on Me.”

Hold out your veil my friend, for God is ready to fill it!