With Confidence
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
Insight
Somehow the words throne, and grace don’t seem like they should go together. A throne is for someone powerful, someone who calls the shots and rules over others. When I think of someone sitting on a throne, it’s someone who is above me and superior. In contrast, when I think of grace, I see love. I see kindness, care, patience, and forgiveness. Grace is something freely given and often underserving. It isn’t something I imagine to be given by someone sitting on a throne, so the contrast presents a beautiful picture of who God is.
God is all powerful yet merciful. He spoke the world into existence, but He created each one of us with intention. He causes the sun to rise every morning, yet He still cares about the desires of our heart. There is something so powerful when we stand before our God unashamed and completely vulnerable, knowing we are deeply loved.
When I was little, my walk with God was about doing the right thing to win God’s love. As I grew, it became a flippant lack of care for His way of life. I bounced between feeling guilty for doing the things I knew I shouldn’t and annoyance that there were rules. I often chased the things of the world and when I found no foundation to stand on, I would look for something new to pique my interest. Of course, the things were always temporary and never fulfilling.
My senior year of college I decided I was going to really give the God thing a try. I bought a journal and decided to read the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Every morning I opened my Bible and read. I wrote out my questions and my prayers. I was doing my part and that meant everything should just work out, right? Wrong. Almost six months after I started, I found myself in one of the hardest seasons of my life. I had graduated college, many friends had moved, and I was unhappy where I was living. I had ended a not-so-great relationship and loneliness seemed to be creeping in from every direction.
I distinctly remember driving to the beach and crying out, asking God why He had put me here when I had been faithfully trying to follow Him. Why did He let all of this happen? For the first time in my life, His response was immediate. My friends didn’t move back, I didn’t get a dream job, my relationship wasn’t fixed, but a peace that transcends all understanding washed over me. I realized later, that was probably the first time I had approached God with confidence. I had arranged my life to build a relationship with Him and He met me there. He didn’t fix my circumstances, but He did give mercy and grace and help in my time of need.
God doesn’t tell us to figure it all out and then come to Him. He invites us to come to Him with confidence to find the help our hearts desperately need. Without knowing it, arranging my life around what I believed led me to approach Him with confidence. I had gotten to know God over those 6 months. I had learned about Him, shared with Him, prayed with Him, and turned my eyes from the things of this world to Him.
We live in a broken world and hurt is inevitable. There is brokenness in other countries, hurt in our neighborhoods, conflict in our schools, and even sadness within our families. But God invites us to approach His throne of grace with confidence.
He is waiting to meet us with mercy and grace to help us navigate all that we face.
Reflection
Where do you need to approach God’s throne with confidence?
Prayer
God, thank you for Your grace and mercy and Your love. Thank You that we can approach You with confidence. You are all powerful and deeply loving. I pray that as I arrange my life around the things I believe, You will continue to meet me where I am to help me in my times of need. I pray for eyes to see how You are working and trust to lean in amid the brokenness of our world. Amen.
Katie Robinson, Children's Ministry Home Coordinator, wrote today's devotional.
