God’s Word tells us that He is our refuge and strength, that He is there to help us in difficult times (Psalm 46:1). God is there for us when we need Him, ready to respond to us with mercy and grace. This is especially true in our times of hardship or times of temptation. Scripture says that, in our times of need, we should approach His throne of grace, the place of God’s presence, with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). But what is the source of this confidence? Why are we able to approach the throne knowing that we will receive mercy and find grace from our God?
The source of our confidence is the merciful high priest who acts as our mediator, interceding on our behalf. That high priest is Jesus Christ. Jesus died for our sins, rose from the grave three days later, and then ascended into heaven where He now sits at the right hand of the Father. Jesus empathizes with our human weaknesses. Because of this, when we pray persistently and continue to draw near to God, Jesus continues to intercede for us.
Jesus knows what it is like to be tempted. He came to earth in human form and because of this, He understands our struggles. He was tempted just as we are. He knows the power that temptation can hold in our lives. But Jesus was without sin. He experienced temptation, but did not give in to it. And because He understands our weaknesses, because He understands what it is like to be tempted, He is always ready to intercede on our behalf (Hebrews 4:14-15). And, for this reason, we are able to approach the throne, to approach the place of God’s presence, with the confidence that He will extend mercy and grace to us.
A Worshiper's Journal 