The following is my submission for our church's annual Advent devotional book.
I do the middle school girls’ Bible study for Wednesday Night Alive at my church, and my faithful attendee is Lily, a sixth grader. I love that girl. She didn’t know me at all that first day, and now she shows up without fail and spends an hour talking about scripture with me. My hat’s off to her. She has no choice but to pay attention and discuss things with me, and she’s a great sport about it. I’m proud of her and happy that I get to spend that time with her. Recently one of my lessons touched on my favorite verse in all of scripture:
Hebrews 4:15-16
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Lily and I spent time discussing Jesus’ (our High Priest’s) temptation in the desert; how he fought back the devil with the power of memorized scripture; how the devil was preying on Jesus when He was physically weak; how Satan has no pity for us when we’re down (1 Peter 5:8); how we’d be utterly and totally lost if Jesus had, at any point, given in. His refusal to worship the devil allowed him to continue on in his mission to die on the cross for our sins. Thank you Lord!!
I like to wrap my head around the fact that before Jesus came, believers couldn’t directly talk to God. Jesus is what bridges us to God the Father; his death makes us sinless in God’s eyes. And I think of those old priests who went in to the Holy of Holies on the believers’ behalf; only they could go in, and even then, it was only like once a year. Can you imagine? Believing in God and not being able to just talk to Him whenever you want? When Jesus died, the curtain was torn and everyone was given an all-access pass to the Holy of Holies. That is a privilege! O how I take it for granted.
I’m tempted a lot. I mess up all the time. My soul is clean only because Jesus forgives me. What a tremendous comfort it is to me to remember that Jesus was “tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin”, and because of that, He knows how I feel. You bet I’m going to run to His throne in confidence, resting back at his knees, soaking up that mercy and grace that He has for me in abundance. Thank you Lord, for coming to this earth and saving us. More than that, thank You for knowing how we feel.
“O how I would have despaired
If You had not come found me there
I can lean against Your throne and find my peace
Hebrews 4:15-16
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Lily and I spent time discussing Jesus’ (our High Priest’s) temptation in the desert; how he fought back the devil with the power of memorized scripture; how the devil was preying on Jesus when He was physically weak; how Satan has no pity for us when we’re down (1 Peter 5:8); how we’d be utterly and totally lost if Jesus had, at any point, given in. His refusal to worship the devil allowed him to continue on in his mission to die on the cross for our sins. Thank you Lord!!
I like to wrap my head around the fact that before Jesus came, believers couldn’t directly talk to God. Jesus is what bridges us to God the Father; his death makes us sinless in God’s eyes. And I think of those old priests who went in to the Holy of Holies on the believers’ behalf; only they could go in, and even then, it was only like once a year. Can you imagine? Believing in God and not being able to just talk to Him whenever you want? When Jesus died, the curtain was torn and everyone was given an all-access pass to the Holy of Holies. That is a privilege! O how I take it for granted.
I’m tempted a lot. I mess up all the time. My soul is clean only because Jesus forgives me. What a tremendous comfort it is to me to remember that Jesus was “tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin”, and because of that, He knows how I feel. You bet I’m going to run to His throne in confidence, resting back at his knees, soaking up that mercy and grace that He has for me in abundance. Thank you Lord, for coming to this earth and saving us. More than that, thank You for knowing how we feel.
“O how I would have despaired
If You had not come found me there
I can lean against Your throne and find my peace
Find my peace…”
~ Jennifer Knapp, Peace
NaBloPoMo day 1
