Hebrews 4:16″“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.”
It may come as a surprise to some that the same Holy Bible that commands us to fear the Lord, also encourages us to approach His throne with boldness and confidence through the above verse. Both these emotions are extremes, and one cannot exist in the presence of another. Then how is it that we are asked to harbour such contrasting response to our Heavenly Father? This is revealed through knowing Christ Jesus.
The beautiful thing about the Holy Bible, is that the character of our Lord Jesus is revealed through every verse. This does not only bring us closer to God, but also enables us to understand what is expected of us. Of course, we are commanded to fear the Lord with reverence and humility. He is supernatural, all powerful and mighty. Heaven is His throne and earth is His footstool. Nothing moves without His consent. The universe bows before Him and all creation is in awe of His magnificence. Therefore, he commands fear.
However, He is also a God of love and compassion. He doesn’t expect us to be perfect before we can approach Him or before He approaches us. He meets us where we are. He is aware that we are imperfect and struggling with our iniquities.
But remember that His strength is perfected in our weakness. We are not called to be perfect or pretentious, but to come as we are. God wants us to approach Him with our addictions, our sins, our immoralities, our wrongdoings, so that He can have mercy on us and cleanse us through His grace.
So, the next time you feel worthless or guilty about something you’ve done, said or thought, do not hide yourself from God’s presence. Instead, be confident in the Lord’s character and walk boldly towards His throne to receive His touch of grace.
