Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16
“Is there anything you can do?” I couldn’t think of anything else to say. I knew it was a speed trap and that I needed to be careful not to speed. I wasn’t late to an appointment and was only headed to Home Depot to get a few “home-fixing” supplies. But sure enough, I didn’t watch my speed, and the highway patrolman was right there to remind me that the speed limit was 35mph.
I had been caught for speeding before, but this was just dumb. I knew the dangers, and I didn’t pay special attention to that which could have saved me some money. The speedometer. So, of course, when the officer came to my truck, I said, “Is there anything you can do?” He said, “Don’t speed…while giving me a ticket.” No grace. No love.
Each of us has those days when we tend to need more grace than others. For whatever reason, we fail to check out the speedometer in our lives, and it heats up. We get closer and closer to that sin that so easily grabs us, and then we cross the line. We sin. At that point, we begin to feel all the things David felt in Psalm 51 as he describes his sin and the effects it has on his life. Can we slow down? Sure. Do we? I’m not always successful at that.
So now what?
We can draw near to God in confidence in our time of need
There is no doubt that we can draw near to God (Ephesians 3:12). We can approach God with great confidence that He cares about us and our personal needs. Some of us never speak our needs to God but rather hide them in the deep places in our hearts. God cares about those needs and is patiently waiting for you to draw near to Him.
I love the phrase, “throne of grace.” It means the place from which grace comes. I sometimes approach God like the Cowardly Lion did when he approached the great and powerful Oz. But Scripture tells us just the opposite. Scripture tells us we can approach God with confidence. We can seek God without fear, and we should.
We can find mercy in our time of need
Mercy is when I deserve a speeding ticket, and the officer decides to give me a warning. With God, we can boldly approach Him with humility and confidence as we seek the mercy He willingly provides to us in our time of need. What is your need this morning? What sins have captured you? When you approach God today, beg him for his mercy. He desires to help you and not destroy you. His love is full of mercy. Mercy is a form of God’s infinite grace towards us. We can have great confidence in that assurance today.
We can find grace in our time of need
It seems to me that if mercy deals with our past, then grace approaches our future. Mercy (forgiveness) is God’s remarkable restraint, and grace is God’s generous gift. But it all begins with our movement towards God’s place of grace. We humbly, boldly, and confidently approach His throne of grace and cast our needs on God. He will provide, and He will display His love towards us through forgiveness and the compassionate love of provided grace.
We cannot only approach His throne confidently, but we can live confidently, knowing that we serve a God who is compassionate and giving towards us.
Today is the day to approach the throne.
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