Verse: Hebrews 4:14-16
“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Devotion
This passage speaks to the heart of the Christian faith, reminding us of the central role that Jesus plays in our relationship with God. As our great high priest, Jesus has passed through the heavens and sits at the right hand of the Father, stepping in on our behalf. He is not distant or disengaged, but rather intimately aware of our struggles and weaknesses.
Jesus was tempted in every way that we are, yet he remained sinless. This means that Jesus can truly empathize with us and offer us the help and support that we need when we are facing difficult times.
The passage also reminds us of the power of prayer. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, we can approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, knowing that we will receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need. This is a powerful promise that should encourage us to come before God with open hearts and minds, trusting in his love and provision.
So let us hold fast to our faith in Jesus, our great high priest. Let us approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, knowing that we will receive the mercy and grace that we need to face the challenges of life. And let us always remember that we serve a God who loves us deeply and desires to be intimately involved in every aspect of our lives.
It is easy when we are in the midst of what seems like an endless storm of negative consequences to feel isolated, and to even begin isolating ourselves when this happens. I’ve had this happen and then I find myself asking God “Where are you?” “This situation isn’t changing, how can something like this be glorifying?”. I knew all of the biblical truths above to be true, yet these questions still crossed my mind. I started to develop a bitterness because of this.
But ultimately, I realized that there is an appropriate way to process these feelings. Through biblical Lament. Through studying psalms of lament (ie. Psalm 13 but there are plenty others) as well as a book that helped direct me on this journey titled “Dark Clouds Deep Mercy” by Mark Vroegop. I was able to better understand how to deal with these feelings of bitterness, and how to address the feeling of isolation. Although my direct circumstances may have not changed; this process has been liberating and has helped me to rely more heavily on the biblical truths I know to be true. I encourage you if you find this relatable to explore psalms of lament. Explore the book if you are able, or reach out to me; I’d love to talk more about it.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for all that you have provided. Lord i thank you for your strength so that we can rely upon you at all times. Lord I ask that if anyone out there feels like I did, that they reconnect with you. I ask you to give them the strength to set aside the bitterness or other feeling they may be enduring, and to open up your word and to learn about biblical Lament. Lord if they don’t know where to start, I ask that you encourage them to reach out for help. Even those who are not currently experiencing hardship, Lord I ask that you encourage them to familiarize themselves with Lament so they can be prepared for the possible day they need to rely on it. In your heavenly name I pray, Amen.
Author: Justin Artymenko
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