Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100:4 NIV
I often show up to God with my tail between my legs.
I’m not proud of it. But it is a pattern I’ve noticed, and (if I’m being honest), I wonder if it might be a more common occurrence than people realize.
Here’s how it goes: I brew my coffee. I drag my bleary-eyed self down to the cozy desk in my art studio. And I long for the refreshment of God’s Spirit to wash over me as I spend time with God, imbibe his Word, and have prayerful conversation with Him.
But there’s a fight that takes place, many mornings, between shame and freedom. The truth that the God of the Universe wanted me and was willing to sacrifice everything to be in a relationship with me seems to slip my mind, and I wrestle with the lie that my sin, brokenness, or shortcomings hold me in a place where I’m unworthy of his presence.
It’s as though He was so committed to me that He offered me a key to His house (in Christ) but I’ve convinced myself that he doesn’t really want me to use it. So I stand outside, filled with a longing that He longs to satisfy.
The lie that God wants me to earn my way in is an assault on grace. It’s an insult, and in direct opposition to the Christian economy. If our own righteous acts or worthiness could save us, the cross becomes useless indeed:
“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Galatians 2:21 NIV
God willed that we would be saved by grace. That we might enter freely into his courts with gratitude in our hearts. That we might know our place in his family—adopted, beloved children of the Most High God!
He sacrificed everything, that we might not cower in fear, but come close to our Heavenly Father.
“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” Romans 8:15 NIV
Understanding this reality is crucial, for the beckoning of grace draws us into the throne room—where heavenly mercies are sourced in abundance, to meet all of our needs according to God’s riches in Christ.
“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.” Hebrews 4:16 NIV
May you enter into his courts with thanksgiving today, with a happy heart that is deeply assured of God’s steadfast love, and of your worthiness to enter—not because of anything you’ve done—but on the basis of faith in Christ, and his finished work on your behalf.
Because—as Hebrews 10:22 (NIV) most beautifully assures us—we are able to “draw near to God with a sincere heart and the full assurance that faith brings”. Fully sure, fully secure. May we run to him!
He loves to meet with you, his precious child. To walk with you in all the joys and sorrows of life, to strengthen you in faith. To equip you with everything good for doing his will. To laugh with you, to lift your gaze, to lighten your load. He is better than we could ever imagine, and He is our Father forever—praise be to God!
May this truth bless you today!
For more: Ephesians 2:8-10, Galatians 5:6-7, Hebrews 13:20-21, Hebrews 10:19-23, Ephesians 1:3-14
