Hebrews 4:16 says "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." We approach grace so that we may receive help. Does it feel somewhat selfish to want grace and mercy? We want it because God wants to give it to us. But also we want it "to help us in our time of need." Do not let that feel selfish.
Could this be yet another fear that prohibits us from approaching the throne of grace with confidence? Is it possible that we have some fear in wanting this because it feels a little selfish?
Is there any selfishness in the desire to receive mercy and find grace for help in our time of need? That may sound off-the-wall or bizarre, but deep inside us this may just exist. Therefore it's time to look inside ourselves to discover if this is one fear that does exist and then dispel it.
Again we are looking at fears that could prohibit us from approaching grace- the throne of grace- in order to make sure we erase them and move confidently forward. If any fear is lurking about regarding approaching grace we are unable to do what God asked of us, and that is approach grace with confidence.
God tells us to "approach the throne of grace with confidence" trusting Him. He wants us to approach grace with assurance that his is His wish and desire for you. So all fear, even that fear not yet disclosed, needs to be addressed and dismissed by your heart and soul to move to the throne of grace. I am simply following God's loving direction that will help us to really take a true look at ourselves and our fears. When we openly address any fears and see them for what they are, then we can dismiss them based on the Word of God.
Please patiently go through this time with me because the payoff is huge! Once we are in a place where we can honestly approach the throne of grace, God is going to do amazing things in our prayer lives and our lives. Even though you may feel eager and ready to learn how to approach grace, know that these lessons on fear will greatly benefit you. Learning about fears that can prohibit you to approach grace also introduces you to fears that can prohibit people from approaching God (God is grace.)
Learning about these fears and the truths that cause them to leave us, will help you tremendously in leading others to Christ and a strong walk with Him.
Fear is the opposite of confidence. Remember? Any time you are able to let the truth from God's Word reveal fear and thus dismiss it, you are becoming more and more confident in God and his Word. These lessons in fear will help us in so many ways. Once you understand different fears in approaching God and his grace, you can help others let go of their fears. That is so fantastic. You will recognize fear better in yourself and others. Just keep in mind recognizing and discovering fear, learning God's truth and then eliminating it will turn you down the road to confidence. And confidence in God and his Word is powerful!
Today we will talk about a fear that you may not notice immediately. This fear is sometimes inside us and goes unseen until we ask ourselves about it. We look at our motives to get a better view of this particular fear. This fear that can prohibit us from approaching the throne of grace with confidence is: the fear of "I don't want to be selfish."
If I am approaching grace in order to receive mercy and find grace so that it can help me in my time of need, it sounds a little like it's all about me and my needs. I want mercy and grace so it can help me. I want help. Me. What about me helping others? What about thinking less of me and more of others? Isn't it a little selfish to want these things for my time of need?
Does anyone feel that at all? You may not initially, but if you open up your mind to it you may just find it lurking about. It may not be a fear that is extremely obvious and in your face but it quite possibly dwells in you somewhere. If you feel we are going down a road of discovery that is looking for something more than you want to know, don't worry. I can not create fear for you, in fact by the time you finish reading this lesson my hope is that you will never encounter this fear again based on the truth of God.
I know you may be asking "Why should I uncover something that I never realized that I had?" Well if you do have this fear, even in a small way, it will still prohibit you from receving the full amount of grace God wants you to possess. If this is not a fear for you then you can enjoy the victory in knowing you have one less road block to grace. Don't be afraid to discover fears. Discovering them is the first step, and a big one, in getting rid of them. Discovering a fear simply tells you "I have a fear, and I need to get rid of it." God's Word says, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." This is in 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV. Check that out. Without fear, you have power, love and a sound mind. Who would not want that?
Today look inside yourself and ask these questions:
- Do I feel that asking for grace and mercy to help me with my needs is selfish of me?
- Is approaching the throne of grace in order to get something to help me with my needs too much about me?
- Does it feel at all selfish to you?
- Does it feel even the smallest amount of selfishness to you?
Think about the fear of selfishness. It is actually pretty funny if you think about it. How selfish can you truly be if you fear doing something because it maybe selfish? If you fear thinking too much about yourself maybe you need to think more about yourself. If you are very selfless and your thought life turns you away from thoughts of care for you, then maybe it's time you need to remember who you are in control of and have charge over - you!
If you have a hard time thinking about yourself and your needs, and only feel comfortable considering everyone else - there could be a problem. Let me tell you God is surely thinking about you and your needs. He created you and wants the best for you. He expects you to want the best for his creation also.
Now to our verse:
Hebrews 4:16
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.
God has a reason and a purpose for you. God has a plan for your life. God knows exactly what He is doing. God tells us to approach the throne of grace for a very good reason. It is certainly not to be selfish and needy. Do we have needs? Absolutely we have needs. Are some needs greater than others? They may appear that way on the outside, but we don't really know all of our needs within God's plan.
Let us take a little journed for a moment. Consider this. In the past you found yourself praying for a new job because you did not like your current job. You were praying for a job not due to lack. You were praying because you simply did not like the job. It could be you were unhappy with the workload or dislike your fellow employees or boss. You had a job. You made good money. But you just weren't that happy with it. You have approached God through prayer. You know He wants to give you his mercy and grace. You don't see an answer yet in the way of any new opportunities coming along.
Along comes one of your close friends. She is a stay home mother of several children. You find out her husband has just lost his job, the only financial support for the family. His industry is suffering at this time, and it could be difficult for him to find a new position. Their savings is small, and they don't have family to help them. She is worried, practically frightened. She asks for prayer.
The next day you find yourself in prayer asking and believing for a new job that you would enjoy more. Then you stop and remember your friend. You think: What am I doing here? I am praying for myself when one of my best friends is in great despair. I have a job. My friend is at a desperate place. Her husband has not job at all. They have children and mouths to feed with no income. How could I possibly think of myself and approach God for me and my needs?
Am I selfish? I pray for my friend and her husband, then wonder should I continue to seek God and his grace for myself when my need almost seems insignificant compared to another. Am I a selfish hman being?
The answer is no!
Let's say you had been successful in the past at overcoming your fears and were able to approach God with confidence. You were able to approach the throne of grace with confidence, receive mercy and grace to help you. Consider your confidence in this place. You have released your fears that could prohibit you from approaching God's grace and help. Eliminating fears alone improved your confidence and faith in God. Removing your fears, enabling you to approach God's grace, increased your trust in God. You found a new assurance in God and His promises.
You approached the throne of grace with the desire to receive a better job. Now you have begun to receive God's mercy and find his grace to help you. Your help has become apparent. Maybe you have not seen the new job yet, but grace and mercy have allowed you greater things. Grace and mercy have brought you closer to God and knowing He has a great plan for you. Grace and mercy ensure you that God has only the best for you.
Think of your friend coming to you now. I guarantee that you would encourage her and be a greater help to her in this place. You have been in mercy and grace. She needs mercy and grace to help her in this time of need. You are familiar with the place she needs right now. You are strong in faith for her now. You are confident in God right now. You become her strength and encouragement able to lead her to the throne of grace. She needs you now! And you are ready to be needed because you know mercy and grace. Maybe your need does not seem as great has her need from the outside. Your need, however great or small (in outward appearances), brought you to confidence and strength. Your need, whatever it may be, brought you to the throne of grace. Your need of any size or shape walked you to the throne of grace, and thank God it did. Thank you God that something, no matter it's size, took you to His throne of grace because now you have the confidence in grace to help another person. A friend even.
You now have the ability to better help others in their time of need. Peopl need you, and you can now help them. They need your confidence in God and in grace. They need to see your strength in God's mercy. People and friends in need don't need your sympathy as much as they need your strength and confidence, your assurance in God.
Think of these things:
Sympathy is beautiful and caring but it does not hold any solutions or confidence in the future.
Compassion that feels for your troubles and suffering is sweet and lovely but strength builds strength.
Sympathy can cry with you but strenght can build you up.
Compassion can show you care, but confidence in God gives hope for the future.
Sympathy trys to understand the pain. Strength tries to overcome the pain.
Sympathy holds it's head down to feel with another.
Strength holds it's head up high to move ahead with another.
Yes sympathy and compassion are greatly needed to move us to help others. Sympathy and compassion are part of love. But strength in faith and confidence in the power of God can help move other people to the mercy and grace they need in their time of need.
That confidence in grace is found in experiencing it for yourself. That strength in God and his Word was grown in approaching God and his grace in your time of need. It does not matter the size of the need. It does not matter what the need was at the time, great or tiny. What matters is that you took that need to the throne of God and received mercy and found grace. Now you can share the confidence you gained from it. Now you can help others. They need you. Please, please continue to approach the throne of gace with confidence to receive mercy and find grace in any need. Each time you do this you gain more confidence in God and his Word. Each time you take a need to the throne of grace, you gain strength in God's Word. You are only greatly benefiting others and yourself by approaching the throne of grace. This is only one reason you should have no fear in being selfish when approaching grace. I will give you more later. It is actually more selfish for you to stop yourself from receiving mercy and grace than actually desiring it. This is because you are denying yourself confidence and strength to help others in their time of need. There you go you selfless people out there. Give yourself everything God wants for you. You deserve it and need it to truly help others.
This week is probably a lot to think about. I hope you can receive this message easily . I know it is not a simple little message. We are diving into subject matters that are not completely easy to understand. Grace has many facets. However God is so graciously taking us down many roads to help us understand it more and more. This way we will have confidence to approach it.
Know without a doubt that there is no selfishness in approaching the throne of grace. There is more selfishness in not approaching it. Enjoy God's 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.mercy and strength. Next we will learn how approaching the throne of grace is actually approaching Jesus.
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