We Can Approach God with Confidence
A devotional by Suzanne Felton
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”—Hebrews 4:16 (KJV)
When I was a student in college, I don’t think I ever took advantage of the office hours my professors offered.
Maybe it wasn’t as common then as it seems to be now for professors to schedule blocks of time to offer their students extra help with course material, advice concerning their majors and future careers, or further discussion about a topic introduced in class.
I know at least some of my teachers offered this courtesy, but I was too intimidated to approach those learned and prestigious men and women face-to-face. I attended classes, listened to lectures, and took notes, but I relied on the textbook and my own capabilities for doing homework and studying for tests.
Thinking back now, I wonder how much more I might have learned if I’d gone to my teachers during their office hours to ask my own specific questions and receive their personal help, or even just to soak up the wisdom of experts in their fields. What incredible opportunities I missed because of my fear, timidity, and pride.
Some people seem to think of God as something like an erudite professor speaking to a large, dark room full of faceless students from a high podium on a distant stage. They attend church services to hear the sermons, and some of them refer to the textbook (The Holy Bible) from time to time. But, like me, they never consider approaching the Teacher (God) personally, even when they don’t fully understand what they’ve heard. God isn’t like that, though. Yes, He is the Maker of the entire universe and Creator of humankind, and His presence reaches to the farthest limits. But He is also a personal God who invites us to come to Him, ask Him questions, and get to know Him. Yes, His greatness is intimidating, but His love is just as great, and He offers it freely all the time.
This reminds me of the Bible story about Nicodemus. He was a high-ranking member of the Pharisees, a prominent sect of Judaism during Jesus Christ’s time on Earth. Nicodemus visited Jesus at night to ask him questions about his teaching. He had heard Jesus speak in the temple, but he wanted to understand more. Let’s read about his encounter with Jesus in John 3:2 (NIV). Nicodemus approached Jesus and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Nicodemus and Jesus went on to have a deep philosophical discussion in which Jesus shared profound truths about himself, His Heavenly Father (God), and the kingdom of Heaven. The record of their discussion includes one of the best known and most treasured verses in scripture: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NIV). What an amazing tutoring session!
Since Nicodemus waited until nightfall to go to Jesus, it’s likely that he was nervous and timid about approaching him at first. It didn’t take long for Nicodemus to become fully engaged in a meaningful discussion with his teacher, though. He couldn’t fully grasp the truths Jesus imparted to him then, but he seems to have taken Jesus’s words to heart and pondered them after that night. We’re not told what happened immediately after that encounter, but in John 19 we learn that Nicodemus was one of two men who came to prepare Jesus’s crucified body for burial, bringing his own costly spices. Finding the courage to approach Jesus and ask him questions that night had an eternal impact on Nicodemus’s life.
Let’s read what Jesus said about His Father and how He wants to help us. According to Luke 11:9 (NIV): “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
We are invited to come and sit at the feet of the one true living God! The God who set the stars in place and who knows how many hairs are on your head welcomes you and wants you to not only know Him, but to learn from Him and grow in wisdom and faith. He requires no appointment or admission fee for us to enter His Presence. All we need to do is seek Him out, knock on His door, and ask whatever questions are on our hearts. What an incredible invitation! Let’s learn more about God’s invitation to us in Hebrews 4:16 (KJV). It reads, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
As great and mighty and omniscient and unfathomable as God is, He is also approachable and welcoming. His office hours are always open for us. Therefore, let us come boldly unto the throne of grace!
Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, You are great and mighty, and loving and approachable. Help us take advantage of your amazing invitation to seek You, knock on your door, and ask whatever is on our hearts with confidence so that we can grow closer to You. In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.
Song of Reflection: “Before the Throne of God Above” by Selah. Listen to it here.
~*~
Author Bio:
Suzanne Felton has been a writer for most of her life, even before she realized it.
She has worked in a wide range of settings, from non-profits to science labs to government contracts to educational classrooms, all of which involved writing in one form or another.
Suzanne is amazed by the power of words and now uses her passion and experience to help authors and students as a writing coach. Encouraging others to find the words and the courage to share their stories is one of her greatest joys.
Suzanne’s devotionals have been published in periodicals and blogs including The Upper Room, The Love Offering, Keys 4 Kids, and The Swallow’s Nest. She is also a two-time finalist in the Cascade Christian Writing Contest for poetry.
She is a wife, mother, writer, reader, teacher, deep thinker, and sinner saved by grace. Suzanne and her family reside in Northern Virginia, but Suzanne will always call her native South Carolina home.
Married to her best friend for twenty-five years, Suzanne is active in her church, where she and her husband have served as deacons for over a decade. They enjoy watching sports and visiting national parks with their two teenage sons. Suzanne is also an avid birder, easily and happily distracted by anything with feathers.
~*~
Connect with Suzanne:
Website: https://suzannefelton.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/l_suzanne_felton
Email address: suzannefeltonwriter@gmail.com
I know at least some of my teachers offered this courtesy, but I was too intimidated to approach those learned and prestigious men and women face-to-face. I attended classes, listened to lectures, and took notes, but I relied on the textbook and my own capabilities for doing homework and studying for tests.
Thinking back now, I wonder how much more I might have learned if I’d gone to my teachers during their office hours to ask my own specific questions and receive their personal help, or even just to soak up the wisdom of experts in their fields. What incredible opportunities I missed because of my fear, timidity, and pride.
Some people seem to think of God as something like an erudite professor speaking to a large, dark room full of faceless students from a high podium on a distant stage. They attend church services to hear the sermons, and some of them refer to the textbook (The Holy Bible) from time to time. But, like me, they never consider approaching the Teacher (God) personally, even when they don’t fully understand what they’ve heard. God isn’t like that, though. Yes, He is the Maker of the entire universe and Creator of humankind, and His presence reaches to the farthest limits. But He is also a personal God who invites us to come to Him, ask Him questions, and get to know Him. Yes, His greatness is intimidating, but His love is just as great, and He offers it freely all the time.
This reminds me of the Bible story about Nicodemus. He was a high-ranking member of the Pharisees, a prominent sect of Judaism during Jesus Christ’s time on Earth. Nicodemus visited Jesus at night to ask him questions about his teaching. He had heard Jesus speak in the temple, but he wanted to understand more. Let’s read about his encounter with Jesus in John 3:2 (NIV). Nicodemus approached Jesus and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Nicodemus and Jesus went on to have a deep philosophical discussion in which Jesus shared profound truths about himself, His Heavenly Father (God), and the kingdom of Heaven. The record of their discussion includes one of the best known and most treasured verses in scripture: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NIV). What an amazing tutoring session!
Since Nicodemus waited until nightfall to go to Jesus, it’s likely that he was nervous and timid about approaching him at first. It didn’t take long for Nicodemus to become fully engaged in a meaningful discussion with his teacher, though. He couldn’t fully grasp the truths Jesus imparted to him then, but he seems to have taken Jesus’s words to heart and pondered them after that night. We’re not told what happened immediately after that encounter, but in John 19 we learn that Nicodemus was one of two men who came to prepare Jesus’s crucified body for burial, bringing his own costly spices. Finding the courage to approach Jesus and ask him questions that night had an eternal impact on Nicodemus’s life.
Let’s read what Jesus said about His Father and how He wants to help us. According to Luke 11:9 (NIV): “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
We are invited to come and sit at the feet of the one true living God! The God who set the stars in place and who knows how many hairs are on your head welcomes you and wants you to not only know Him, but to learn from Him and grow in wisdom and faith. He requires no appointment or admission fee for us to enter His Presence. All we need to do is seek Him out, knock on His door, and ask whatever questions are on our hearts. What an incredible invitation! Let’s learn more about God’s invitation to us in Hebrews 4:16 (KJV). It reads, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
As great and mighty and omniscient and unfathomable as God is, He is also approachable and welcoming. His office hours are always open for us. Therefore, let us come boldly unto the throne of grace!
Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, You are great and mighty, and loving and approachable. Help us take advantage of your amazing invitation to seek You, knock on your door, and ask whatever is on our hearts with confidence so that we can grow closer to You. In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.
Song of Reflection: “Before the Throne of God Above” by Selah. Listen to it here.
~*~
Author Bio:
Suzanne Felton has been a writer for most of her life, even before she realized it.
She has worked in a wide range of settings, from non-profits to science labs to government contracts to educational classrooms, all of which involved writing in one form or another.
Suzanne is amazed by the power of words and now uses her passion and experience to help authors and students as a writing coach. Encouraging others to find the words and the courage to share their stories is one of her greatest joys.
Suzanne’s devotionals have been published in periodicals and blogs including The Upper Room, The Love Offering, Keys 4 Kids, and The Swallow’s Nest. She is also a two-time finalist in the Cascade Christian Writing Contest for poetry.
She is a wife, mother, writer, reader, teacher, deep thinker, and sinner saved by grace. Suzanne and her family reside in Northern Virginia, but Suzanne will always call her native South Carolina home.
Married to her best friend for twenty-five years, Suzanne is active in her church, where she and her husband have served as deacons for over a decade. They enjoy watching sports and visiting national parks with their two teenage sons. Suzanne is also an avid birder, easily and happily distracted by anything with feathers.
~*~
Connect with Suzanne:
Website: https://suzannefelton.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/l_suzanne_felton
Email address: suzannefeltonwriter@gmail.com
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