Come boldly to the throne of grace! (Hebrews 4:16) Why? In the Old Testament the High Priest sacrificed an unblemished lamb for the atonement of the sins of the people. This sacrifice, which was always performed in the outer court of the temple, had been ordained by God. Jesus Christ is our High Priest. He became Himself the Lamb (Rev. 5:8) and was slain in the outer court, outside the walls of Jerusalem, the city of God. He was faithful to God, who had ordained this from the foundation of the world. What are your needs today? Are you concerned about your childrens choice of friends and activities? As a young Christian with a couple of toddlers, I had a strong urge at a conference to buy a tiny wall plaque with the inscription: As for Me and My House, We Will Serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15) That verse became a daily prayer and was boldly displayed to all who entered our foyer door. My gals, both blessed with good friends, godly husbands, and successful careers, are now serving in ministry in our church. As for me and my husband, our desire to know and serve Him increased steadily through the years, as did our faith. The book of Joshua starts with, and repeats several times, the admonition to be strong, of good courage, and without fear. Why? Because the Lord your God is going with you. He is the One who will win the battles for you. What He did for Joshua and the children of Israel who were faithful to Him, He is still doing today for you. Only now we have Jesus as our High Priest making constant intercession for us and leading us into victory. He has made the way for you and because of Him you now have direct access to the Father. There is no more need for sacrifices to be performed by priests or any other mediators. He has done that for you once and for all. All you need to do is go right up to the throne of God, ask Him for forgiveness whenever you know youve missed it, and ask Him for whatever you need! When my husband, Jack, was struck with a serious illness, and this has happened several times, we went boldly to His throne, proclaiming His promises of long life and healing. He heard us and He answered our prayers every time! When you know the Giver, that whatever He says in His Word is true, and that His thoughts towards you are of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end, (Jer. 29:11) then you become like a child with his daddy. You will trust that He will give you whatever you need. In turn, you will get bolder and dare to ask over and above what you need, as you will know His Will. Faith is bold. Like Joshua and his people, be bold, courageous and fearless. Ask whatever you want, and it shall be done unto you! (John 15:7) |
