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Saturday, November 21, 2009
Draw Near to the God Who Understands
Brent Barnett
"For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:15-16
There is great significance to the fact that Christ was born in the likeness of man and lived through adulthood on this earth. That Jesus experienced life from the cradle to the cross has great relevance to how we live our lives as Christians. Sometimes we might think that God being God cannot possibly relate or understand our incessant needs and weaknesses. We might be prone to think that we have sinned so much that we can no longer be forgiven.
We might be tempted to think that God has given up on us. Perhaps we have concluded that God doesn't care to hear our prayer, and if we do pray, we do it with a serious lack of belief, confidence, and hope. Yet the message from Scripture is that Jesus understands and even sympathizes. There is no need to be embarrassed or confounded by our neediness and weakness.
Christ wants to show Himself to be strong in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10), and He promises to meet our needs according to His good and perfect will (Philippians 4:19). His throne is a place of mercy and grace. He knows that we need help, and He wants us to come and ask Him for it.
He understands pain, for He was beaten and bruised for our transgressions. He understands rejection, for many professing followers abandoned Him. He knows what it is to be fatigued as He spent many long nights in prayer. He knows the frustration of laboring for the Lord when even His own disciples seemed to not understand. He can relate to family life, to the work place, to the meeting place for worship, and to the everyday issues of life. He hungered and He thirsted. Our God understands, for He has been there.
Yet, despite all that He experienced and endured, He did not sin. This has made it possible for us to be saved and to have the ability in Christ to draw near to God in prayer. We have the awesome privilege of approaching the God of the universe in prayer in the name of Christ. It is not our goodness that makes this possible but His. And given all that He endured for this to be made possible, how awful it must be to Him when we don't take advantage of this privilege of prayer.
We get to approach the very throne of God in prayer which is a place of supreme authority and power. This is where things can get done, where sin can be forgiven, where requests can be answered, and where hopes can be renewed. And because of Christ, this throne is not a place of the pouring out of God's wrath but a place of grace and mercy.
There is no reason for God's people to not offer their requests and petitions to God. There is no reason to think that God won't hear our prayers or that He wouldn't desire fellowship with us. He sent His own Son so that this could happen. We need to take advantage of this privilege and enjoy intimate communion with our Lord in prayer. If we have unconfessed sin, God wants to hear that before anything else. He is ready to forgive and not condemn. If we have needs, He wants to be asked to meet them. If we have weaknesses, He wants to provide the strength. When we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us (James 4:8).
Jesus had weaknesses, though He was without sin. We have weaknesses and sin. Yet our hope is that we can go and be forgiven this day and receive help and strength to carry on not from a God Who doesn't care or can't relate but from a God Who anticipates our needs and sympathizes with our struggles. When we come to understand the mercy, grace, and sympathy of our Lord, we will readily entreat Him for wisdom, provision, and deliverance from sin. We will eagerly rush to His presence to be cleansed from any unconfessed sin. We won't shrink away in fear, but we will run to His open and eager embrace. We have a God Who sympathizes and understands. Let us thank God for the work of Christ, and let us draw near to our gracious Father this day.
Draw Near to the God Who Understands
Brent Barnett
"For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:15-16
There is great significance to the fact that Christ was born in the likeness of man and lived through adulthood on this earth. That Jesus experienced life from the cradle to the cross has great relevance to how we live our lives as Christians. Sometimes we might think that God being God cannot possibly relate or understand our incessant needs and weaknesses. We might be prone to think that we have sinned so much that we can no longer be forgiven.
We might be tempted to think that God has given up on us. Perhaps we have concluded that God doesn't care to hear our prayer, and if we do pray, we do it with a serious lack of belief, confidence, and hope. Yet the message from Scripture is that Jesus understands and even sympathizes. There is no need to be embarrassed or confounded by our neediness and weakness.
Christ wants to show Himself to be strong in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10), and He promises to meet our needs according to His good and perfect will (Philippians 4:19). His throne is a place of mercy and grace. He knows that we need help, and He wants us to come and ask Him for it.
He understands pain, for He was beaten and bruised for our transgressions. He understands rejection, for many professing followers abandoned Him. He knows what it is to be fatigued as He spent many long nights in prayer. He knows the frustration of laboring for the Lord when even His own disciples seemed to not understand. He can relate to family life, to the work place, to the meeting place for worship, and to the everyday issues of life. He hungered and He thirsted. Our God understands, for He has been there.
Yet, despite all that He experienced and endured, He did not sin. This has made it possible for us to be saved and to have the ability in Christ to draw near to God in prayer. We have the awesome privilege of approaching the God of the universe in prayer in the name of Christ. It is not our goodness that makes this possible but His. And given all that He endured for this to be made possible, how awful it must be to Him when we don't take advantage of this privilege of prayer.
We get to approach the very throne of God in prayer which is a place of supreme authority and power. This is where things can get done, where sin can be forgiven, where requests can be answered, and where hopes can be renewed. And because of Christ, this throne is not a place of the pouring out of God's wrath but a place of grace and mercy.
There is no reason for God's people to not offer their requests and petitions to God. There is no reason to think that God won't hear our prayers or that He wouldn't desire fellowship with us. He sent His own Son so that this could happen. We need to take advantage of this privilege and enjoy intimate communion with our Lord in prayer. If we have unconfessed sin, God wants to hear that before anything else. He is ready to forgive and not condemn. If we have needs, He wants to be asked to meet them. If we have weaknesses, He wants to provide the strength. When we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us (James 4:8).
Jesus had weaknesses, though He was without sin. We have weaknesses and sin. Yet our hope is that we can go and be forgiven this day and receive help and strength to carry on not from a God Who doesn't care or can't relate but from a God Who anticipates our needs and sympathizes with our struggles. When we come to understand the mercy, grace, and sympathy of our Lord, we will readily entreat Him for wisdom, provision, and deliverance from sin. We will eagerly rush to His presence to be cleansed from any unconfessed sin. We won't shrink away in fear, but we will run to His open and eager embrace. We have a God Who sympathizes and understands. Let us thank God for the work of Christ, and let us draw near to our gracious Father this day.
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