Hebrews 4:16 “let us then approach God’s throne of Grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find Grace to help us in our time of need.”

Whenever I’m busy with something, I normally don’t like to be disturbed. I think most of us are like that, but my kids know that they can always approach me with confidence in whatever they need. There isn’t any 2nd guessing if “dad will get upset” or anything, they just come to me freely and ask. Why? Because I’m dad! I expect them to come to me when they have a need. I expect them to feel free without any fear.

I believe this is exactly what the author is saying here in this text. Our God loves when we come to him with confidence, for He is a good of mercy and grace. The story of the sinful woman in Luke 7:37,  is a great example of this: Luke 7:37 “A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 

She knew she wasn’t a victim of anyone but herself. She knew she was not doing good in her own life, but something gave her the confidence that was needed to barge into the house of a pharisee, not worrying what anyone was going to say about her at all. I believe that she had a clear understanding of her emptiness and need, and with that she also recognized that Jesus was her only solution. This is the first thing that is needed when entering the presence of the Lord. When one takes the time to recognize that God is all you want there are three things that one tends to say to themselves.

·      I Want God!

·      I Deserve Death

·      I Can’t Handle Anything without God!

This woman felt empty, this woman knew she didn’t deserve anything good, and  was also desperate, knowing that the only solution for her deliverance was inside that home. She had already tried everything else in life, maybe even religion and the church, because when she goes in, she doesn’t stop to talk to any of the pharisees, she goes straight towards where Jesus was.

Next, she goes in. She just doesn’t go into the house, but she goes straight to where Jesus is and begins to cry at His feet. The bible says in verse 38,

 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.” Once she is in, she doesn’t stop to sit anywhere or have conversations with anyone, this is her moment, this is her opportunity, and she dives right in and gives the Lord her total surrender. 

Just after this encounter, Jesus then speaks to the pharisees and before all the guests in this home, he forgives her publicly and acknowledges that her faith as saved her. Which brings me to my final point. We must be willing to receive what he has to give us once we are in. So many times, people struggle with this last part because we can’t believe that God will forgive us. This is why this story of the sinful woman is so powerful. At the very end of the story, he goes ahead and tells her to “go in peace!”  This is exactly what she was hoping for, Peace!  When sin is in the forefront of someone’s life, the guilt eats at the core of the person. They just can’t live in peace, and Jesus gave this woman exactly what she needed. This only happened because she was willing to “Go IN!”  Are you ready to “go in?”

Prayer: Lord, I pray that at this very moment someone can have the courage to know that you love a broken and contrite spirit, especially when we can come to you with total honest and repent before you. May you heal our hearts from our fears and hurts and may we find the peace that we are all searching for in your presence.  Amen!