Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: Sinful man approaching his holy God.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Luke 15:20,

"While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."

In this well known parable of the prodigal son, his father's response to his return is a picture of our heavenly Father's response when we turn to him. As the father told his older brother, "My son... you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."

One of the issues many of us face when we turn to God is that we know all too well our sinful estate. God is holy, without any wrinkle of character whatsoever. He is pristine in his righteousness and justice and is perfectly spotless and blameless in every aspect of his person, regardless of the yardstick used to measure. How is one to approach the Lord knowing of our own faults and blemishes?

Here is something of God that should have great impact on all of us. Just as the prodigal's father was filled with compassion and chose to express that in celebration and gladness, so our heavenly father does likewise when we turn to him. Just as the woman who lost a coin asked her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her over finding the coin, Luke 15:9, so our heavenly Father celebrates with joy together with the angels of heaven when we turn to him, Luke 15:10.

In thinking of our own shortcomings and approaching God with that on our minds, I am reminded of what we read in Hebrews 4:14-16, "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

We should feel a confidence as we approach "the throne of grace" no matter what we have done in our lives. God rejoices when we turn to him! Only in Jesus Christ is this possible as he has made a way for us!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk

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