Hebrews 4:16 - Pray For Mercy And Grace To Help In Time Of Need.
Hebrews 4:16 (NIV) 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.
Hebrews 4:16 (AMP) Let us then fearlessly
and confidently and boldly draw near to the
throne of grace (the throne of Gods unmerited
favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy
[for our failures] and find grace to help in good
time for every need [appropriate help and
well-timed help, coming just when we need it].
COMMENTARY PEARLS
One Step is Enough
Arthur Hays Sulzberger was the publisher
of the New York Times during the Second World
War. Because of all the world conflict, he found
it almost impossible to sleep. He was never
able to set aside worries from his mind - until
he adopted as his motto these five words,
one step enough for me. He took it from the
old hymn, Lead Kindly Light.
Lead, kindly light.
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.
God isnt going to let you see the
distant scene either. So you might as well quit
looking for it. God does promise a lamp for our
feet, not a crystal ball into the future. We
dont need to know what will happen tomorrow. We
only need to know that Hebrews 4:16 promises
we will find grace to help us when we need
it. [Max Lucado Daily Devotional at
maxlucado.com]
Give Up Your Bag of Burdens
Worry is the burlap bag of burdens.
Its overflowing with whaddifs and
howells. Whaddif after all my dieting, I find that
lettuce is fattening and chocolate isnt? Howell
we pay our babys tuition? Whaddifs and
howellsthe burlap bag of worry. Cumbersome. Chunky.
Unattractive. Scratchy. Irritating to carry and
impossible to give away!
No one wants your worries. The truth is,
you dont want them either. No one has to
remind you of the high cost of anxiety, but I will
anyway. Worry divides the mind. It splits our
energy between todays priorities and
tomorrows problems. The result is half-minded
living!
Hebrews 4:16 encourages us to boldly
approach the throne of our gracious God, where we may
receive mercy and, in His grace, find timely
help. Gods help is timely! God will do the
right thing at the right time. And what a
difference that makes! [from Traveling Light by Max
Lucado at maxlucado.com]
INTRODUCTION AND WORD STUDY
Mercy means that God does not give us what
we deserve, and grace means that He gives us
what we do not deserve. What a loving God He is!
[Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren
Wiersbe re Psa. 6]
We need mercy every day, and God has
provided it because His Word says that His mercy is
new every day and His faithfulness is great and
abundant (see Lamentations 3:23). Our sin will never
exceed God's mercy because where sin abounds, grace
abounds much more (see Romans 5:20). [My Time with
God by Joyce Meyer]
COMMENTARY
We can now find grace to help in time of
need. What a glorious promise! Help is now
available to carry us through life. No matter what
confronts us"trial, trouble, tribulation,
temptation"help is available, the very help of God Himself.
God will pour out His marvelous grace upon
us"all of His strength and blessings. Gods grace
will strengthen us to walk right through the
trial and trouble. His grace will help us conquer
and triumph over all circumstances and
situations. [Preachers Outline & Sermon Bible]
Christs sympathy extends both to those
who have surrendered to temptation, and those
who still resist it. For our failures He has
mercy. For our trials, He has grace to help us in
our time of need. Whatever our situation, Jesus
understands and cares. [Victor Bible Background
Commentary]
Through his death on the cross, our great
High Priest, Jesus, opened access to God. Now
people can approach God directly because of Jesus'
sacrifice for sins. Because Jesus gave his life to do
this for us, let us therefore come boldly to the
throne of grace. This verse is an open invitation
to regard God as a great ally and true friend.
Yes, God occupies a throne, a seat of power and
authority, but it is a throne of grace, not a throne of
greed or domination. The term "throne of grace"
describes the constant care and love offered to God's
undeserving children. God's grace is a characteristic of
his reign. "Grace" means undeserved favor. Our
ability to approach God does not come from any merit
of our own but depends entirely on him.
Believers can "come boldly" and
confidently to this throne, for the king is our Father,
who loves us as his children. At God's throne,
we will not receive anger or be ignored;
instead, we will obtain mercy and find grace to help
in time of need. God is not only concerned with
converting people and collecting disciples; he also
cares and nurtures those children who are his own.
He listens to our needs. No request is
insignificant, and no problem is too small for the one who
sits on the throne of grace. God will never
reject a Christian's plea or ignore one who brings
requests before God. When we come to God, we are
promised "mercy," God's loving-kindness and
forgiveness. When we come to God, we will receive
"grace," God's undeserved favor, that will help in
time of need. No matter what the problem, no
matter what sin caused the need, God promises to
help us at just the right time -- his time. This
doesn't mean that God promises to solve every need
the moment we come to him. Nor does it mean that
God will erase the natural consequences of any
sin that was committed. It does mean, however,
that God listens, cares, and will answer in his
perfect way, in his perfect timing. [Life
Application Commentary]
As our compassionate High Priest, Jesus has
opened the way for people to enter Gods presence
boldly, where we can obtain his mercy and grace to
help us when we need it most. [NLT SB 2008]
The Greek word for Approach/Draw near is
used consistently in Hebrews to represent a
person approaching God, which is possible only when
ones sins are forgiven through the sacrificial
and intercessory ministry of a high priest. The
encouragement to draw near to Gods throne implies
that Christians have the privilege of a personal
relationship with God. [ESV SB 2008]
Prayer is our approach to God, and we are to
come "boldly." Some Christians approach God
meekly with heads hung low, afraid to ask him to
meet their needs. Others pray flippantly, giving
little thought to what they say. Come with
reverence because he is your King. But also come with
bold assurance because he is your Father, Friend,
and Counselor. [Life Application Commentary]
The darkness of the evil one encloses those
who neglect to pray. The whispered temptations
of the enemy entice them to sin; and it is all
because they do not make use of the privileges that
God has given them in the divine appointment of
prayer. Why should the sons and daughters of God be
reluctant to pray, when prayer is the key in the hand
of faith to unlock heaven's storehouse, where
are treasured the boundless resources of
Omnipotence? Without unceasing prayer and diligent
watching we are in danger of growing careless and of
deviating from the right path. SC94
Let us come could be translated to indicate
ongoing action: let us continually come. [NLT SB
2008]
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Do not be discouraged by the difficulty
of keeping your focus on Me. I know that your
heart's desire is to be aware of My Presence
continually. This is a lofty goal; you aim toward it but
never fully achieve it in this life. Don't let
feelings of failure weigh you down. Instead, try to
see yourself as I see you. First of all, I am
delighted by your deep desire to walk closely with Me
through your life. I am pleased each time you
initiate communication with Me. In addition, I notice
the progress you have made since you first
resolved to live in My Presence.
When you realize that your mind has
wandered away from Me, don't be alarmed or surprised.
You live in a world that has been rigged to
distract you. Each time you plow your way through the
massive distractions to communicate with Me, you
achieve a victory. Rejoice in these tiny triumphs,
and they will increasingly light up your days.
(Rom. 8:33, 34; Heb. 4:14-16) [Jesus Calling by
Sarah Young]
Open your mind and heart - your entire
being - to receive My Love in full measure. So
many of My children limp through their lives
starved for Love, because they haven't learned the
art of receiving. This is essentially an act of
faith: believing that I love you with boundless,
everlasting Love. The art of receiving is also a
discipline: training your mind to trust Me, coming close
to Me with confidence.
Remember that the evil one is the father
of lies. Learn to recognize his deceptive
intrusions into your thoughts. One of his favorite
deceptions is to undermine your confidence in My
unconditional Love. Fight back against these lies! Do not
let them go unchallenged. Resist the devil in My
Name, and he will slink away from you. Draw near
to Me, and My Presence will envelop you in
Love. (Eph. 3:16-19; John 8:44; Heb. 4:16; James
4:7, 8) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
Peace is My continual gift to you. It
flows abundantly from My throne of grace. Just as
the Israelites could not store up manna for the
future but had to gather it daily, so it is with My
Peace. The day-by-day collecting of manna kept My
people aware of their dependence on Me. Similarly,
I give you sufficient Peace for the present,
when you come to me by prayer and petition with
thanksgiving. If I gave you permanent Peace, independent
of My Presence, you might fall into the trap of
self-sufficiency. May that never be!
I have designed you to need Me moment by
moment. As your awareness of your neediness
increases, so does your realization of My abundant
sufficiency. I can meet every one of your needs without
draining My resources at all. Approach My throne of
grace with bold confidence, receiving My Peace
with a thankful heart. (Exo. 16:15-20; Phi. 4:6,
7, 19; Heb. 4:16) [Jesus Calling by Sarah
Young]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2008/20081103-1236.html
EXCELLENT VIDEO SERIES ON 28 REVELATIONS OF
JESUS
1st of 28: Divine Dining:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_7j1QIKqmY
2nd of 28: Pictures of the Divine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lNI-OQ7-eQ
3rd of 28: A Dirty Bible:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMkPvBuuFd4
4th of 28: Cared For:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztXyJVdcCds
5th of 28: Saved:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX45kGRe1HI
6th of 28: You Can Change:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd0gkvK18fo
7th of 28: Reprogramming Our Brains:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov36f_RapXc
8th of 28 Our Holy Father:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XabXLEXsxbY
9th of 28 Gifts of Service:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtuGZviodkA
10th of 28 The Holy Spirit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=in89XVs4cGo
11th of 28 The Law of God:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_Q601HjogI
12th of 28 The Sabbath:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sakgnKoTzZI
13th of 28 The Church:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkFw2XsTW-w
14th of 28 The Gift of Prophecy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiO2VC09NPI
15th of 28 Stewardship:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z_lNLAataw
16th of 28 Marriage and the Family:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EybxvMQ0K7E
Live ongoing series in progress.
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
