Boldly Approach His Throne

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So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. -- Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)

Have you ever really contemplated God coming to earth, to live among His creation, as a human? I think this very fact trips up unbelievers, because they simply cannot fathom God ever doing this. We are raised reading or watching shows about gods who rule very differently. They are mostly seen as condemning, demanding, and ungracious, so it’s hard to wrap our minds around a God who is humble and merciful.

But understanding comes when you realize that this is His whole point! He did not come to earth in power, though He very well could have. He came to earth as a perfect baby first who grew into a fine (and still sinless) young man, but not one with riches and influence. He walked among us common folk, shared meals with us, cried with us, taught His wisdom, and healed us. He’s a true ruler to all people. If He came to us as an earthy king, only a fraction of people could have ever approached Him in their time of need.

And this is what sets Him apart from other (false) gods. Hebrews 4:16 paints this picture beautifully. Since He did not create barriers while He walked His own planet, we do not have barriers to approach His mighty throne now. So, what does this mean?

It means nothing if off limits to go to Him about. Did you catch that important word? Nothing. Not our problems, our pains, our sicknesses, our frustrations, our anger, our grief, our disappointments, our embarrassments, or our joys, our praises, and our dreams. He will never turn us away. He is ready and willing to listen and then hand down His grace and mercy to us.

Grace and mercy combined! And “when we need it most.” What a beautiful picture of love. I hope today you can sit with Him and chat about all that is going on in your life, the ups and the downs, while acknowledging the sheer fact you get to do this is the whole point—that this is what sets Jesus apart from all other gods the world tries to make us believe in or make us not believe in anything at all. Because only He could and would do what He did for us 2,000 years ago.

Questions for Reflection:

1. What do you need to approach God boldly about today?

2. What does a love that combines both grace and mercy look like for you?