“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16 KJV

The great privilege of the redeemed is that the Holy One,  the God of the Universe, our Heavenly Father, invites us into His Presence!  This privilege is not just for a select few.  No!  It is an invitation for all who have accepted His gift of salvation!  Because of His  Blood that was shed for us, we have been given direct access to His Presence! He invites us to come before Him!   Doing so brings Him great pleasure!   

The evil one seeks to discourage us and prevent us from entering into the Lord’s Presence.   He challenges us by reminding us of our past, declaring that we are not worthy.  He assaults us by reminding us of our weakness and just how little we measure up to God’s standard of Holiness!  He attacks us with guilt, shame, and condemnation. He constantly reminds us of our failures and openly accuses us before God. And if none of those things work, he then distracts us with busyness.  That should tell us just how fearful the adversary is of our entering into the Presence of God! 

But the Lord encourages us to come into His Presence with confidence!  The reason we can have confidence is because He also lived in human flesh just like us!  (Heb. 4:15).   He knows what it means to be human. (Psalm 103:14). He was tempted in the flesh in every possible way just as we are!  But unlike us, He never gave in to the temptation!  He demonstrated to us how to rely upon the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit to face and overcome those temptations. 

The Lord knows that it is in His Presence that we find mercy,  grace, and the forgiveness of our sins!  It is in  His  Presence that we find hope!  It is in  His  Presence that we find comfort.  It is in  His Presence that we experience the richness of His love. It is His Presence that we find joy.  It is in His  Presence that we find peace!  It is in His Presence that we find provision for whatever we may need!  It is in His Presence that we find direction.  It is in His  Presence that we find our identity and purpose. And it is in His Presence that we discover the wonder, mystery, and majesty of His Person!   No wonder the adversary does everything he can to keep us away from Him!

Rev. James W. Black