"[Jesus] understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most" (Hebrews 4:15-16 NLT).
Years ago, there was a book called Why Am I Afraid to Tell You Who I Am? Well, here's the answer: If I tell you what I'm really like and you don't like it, I'm up a creek without a paddle, because I'm all I've got.
And so, we spend most of our lives wearing masks, pretending to be people we're not, because we're afraid if we let others see what we really are, they would reject us. It's one of our deepest fears.
But because God is always good and never bad, God will never reject you, even when you sin against him and disobey and hurt him. You can come back! He will receive you, not reject you, when you humbly confess to him.
The Bible says, "Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close . . . My enemies are waiting for me . . . Yet I am confident I will see the Lord's goodness while I am here in the land of the living" (Psalm 27:10-11, 13 NLT). You may have messed up and made a huge mistake. God is the God of second chances. Why? Because he is a good and gracious Father.
Now, because God is always good and gracious, when we pray, we can be always bold and confident. We don't have to come slinking in to God with our tail between our legs. We can just come and say, "God, you know I blew it—that's who I am. But you are a good Father—that's who you are. And it's who you are that matters."
"[Jesus] understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most" (Hebrews 4:15-16 NLT).PLAY today's audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk About It
- Why do you think Jesus allowed himself to be tempted while he was on Earth, even though he never sinned?
- How does your relationship with your parents affect the way you read Psalm 27:10? How would you describe the language used in this verse?
- In what ways has your fear of rejection affected how you approach God in prayer?
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