What an amazing gift to be able to approach God with boldness! I don’t have to be sheepish or shy or ashamed. I don’t have to fall on my knees or bow down or avert my eyes. I don’t have to take off my sandals the way Moses was asked to at the burning bush.
But I didn’t do anything to earn this privilege. I can only come close to God without being burned to dust in the glorious fire of His pure holiness because Jesus died and took my sins with Him. So now I am clean and inoffensive. I’m not going to muck up the joint.
Each time I approach though I need to reclaim Jesus’s gift of purity. The guards at the door see me and are horrified. I point to Jesus and say, “It’s OK, I’m with Him. Right, Jesus?”
The guards turn and look at Jesus to see what He says. Will Jesus verify my claim with a slight nod? Or will He banish me with a frown?
I stand there in my filthy, moth-eaten sin, waiting.
But Jesus does neither of those things. He jumps up excitedly, smiling brightly, and wraps me in a warm embrace. “Welcome in!” He says. “You are always welcome here, my friend.”
Now I look down and my clothes are now pristine and new. And my heart is light. I have been bathed in mercy and grace. Because of Jesus’s welcome and forgiveness I can stand in God’s presence confidently. I belong.
Dear God,
Thank you for the promise, that as long as I come with Jesus, I will never be turned away from your presence. Because of the grace and mercy you leave for me by the door, I am welcome to approach you, to bask in your beautiful, holy presence, to speak with you and hear your voice.
CamDevo 