Hear these words from Psalm 46:1 and Hebrews 4:14-16:
Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Hebrews 4:14-16, “14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 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.”
It is our blessed privilege that we can come to the throne of God’s grace and come before His presence based on what Jesus Christ has done for us. Christ was raised, ascended into the heavens, and sits at God’s right hand, where He ministers as our great and eternal High Priest. Covenant blessings such as these, given to us by God through the work of His Son Jesus Christ, are not meant only to be observed but to be appropriated. You may ask…what does that mean for me? We are not called just to see that something is good, but to apply it or put it to work in our daily life.
Charles Spurgeon in his Morning and Evening devotional for May 3 says that “Even our Lord Jesus Christ is given to us for our present use. Believer, you do not make use of Christ as you ought to do. When you are in trouble, why do you not tell Him all your grief? Does He not have a sympathizing heart, and can He not comfort and relieve you? …. Are you burdened with this day’s sins? Here is a fountain filled with blood: Use it, saint, use it. Has a sense of guilt returned upon you? The pardoning grace of Jesus may be proved again and again. Come to Him for cleansing. Do you deplore your weakness? He is your strength. …. The more burdens we put on His shoulders, the more precious He will be to us.”
Let us have confidence in Christ’s all surpassing mercy and grace and thus be grateful that we have access to God! We have the privilege of being purified from our sins by Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross. We can give to God an offering of thanksgiving for His mercy in saving us, hearing our prayers, strengthening us for the journey ahead in this present life, and supporting and sustaining us in the midst of our weaknesses and temptations.
