Bold in Bringing Our Needs

I Can Be Bold in Bringing My Needs to God

“Only those people who are led by God’s Spirit are his children. God’s Spirit doesn’t make us slaves who are afraid of him. Instead, we become his children and call him our Father. God’s Spirit makes us sure that we are his children. His Spirit lets us know that together with Christ we will be given what God has promised. We will also share in the glory of Christ, because we have suffered with him
(Rom. 8:14-17).”

“So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help
(Heb. 4:16).”

Stand In Need

Each of us have our own set of needs that God wants to meet. The God we serve, wants us to bring our needs before Him. The last thing He would ever want, is for us to be overburdened by our circumstances. He doesn’t want us to feel all alone in our struggles. He doesn’t want us to try and do things in our own strength – without HIS strength. He wants to hold us, and carry us through the things we face. He wants to help us triumph over our enemies.

This is why Jesus Christ, our Savior, came. He came to bring us peace in our relationship with God and in life. This is what He has accomplished through His death and resurrection, that was done for our sake. How are you accepting His invitation to simply come to Him?

One of the Bible verses I have treasured these past few months is Psalm 81:13-14.

“My people, Israel, if only you would listen and do as I say! I, the LORD, would quickly defeat your enemies with my mighty power. Everyone who hates me would come crawling, and that would be the end of them. But I would feed you with the finest bread and with the best honey until you were full (vv. 13-16).”

In the passage, we learn what God is calling us toward. In this Scripture, we get a small glimpse of what God wants to do in your life and mine as well. God wants to demolish the strongholds over our lives. God wants to meet every need we have, according to His riches (see Phil. 4:19).

This is what gives God great pleasure. Being with us, and helping us. It delights our heavenly Father. We aren’t burdening God when we come bringing our needs.

Quite the opposite. When we come before the great “I AM,” He is filled with joy to spend time with us, teaching us, and unloading our burdens as He gives us peace versus the fear or anxiety we have felt for some time now. As we experience His peace, we can celebrate that He is working in our circumstances.

Just know, it gives God great pleasure and joy when you choose to come bravely and share with Him what you are in need of. You aren’t being a burden to our heavenly Father. He delights, when you come to Him.

Come Boldly

In Hebrews 4, we are reminded that we can come bravely before His throne to ask.

We can ask.
We can seek.
We can keep knocking on our Beloved’s door.

While we each have needs, we are invited to come… unashamed. How are you coming Him unashamed with your needs?

For me, it is a process of recognizing I can come guilt-free to my Savior. I can come fearlessly, to drop all my fearful thoughts that bombard my heart and mind. I can come before my Savior, who wants to tenderly speak into my midst. Maybe, your thing isn’t fear. Maybe, it’s finances. Perhaps, it’s relational. We are all invited to come before our great Savior’s throne and receive love. He loves us. He doesn’t condemn, for He came to save us from condemnation. He wants to lovingly instruct us.

Application

I am realizing more and more today, that there needs to be a brink between reading and moving on. I need to apply the truths of God to my life. I need to invite God into my midst, and receive His much needed help. I need to just stop everything, and spend much needed time with my Beloved Savior. So, I invite you to do the same.

Right now, stop everything you are doing. Just come before your Savior and ask. Pour over the truth of God’s Word in today’s focus, and keep seeking our loving Lord. He is waiting for you to call upon His name. He is waiting for you to come and receive His help.

Further Reading: For the “I Am” Statements of Jesus, see John 6:35; John 8:12; John 10:9, 11;  John 11:25-26; John 14:6; John 15:5.

Psalm 119:21-24

David’s Prayer

God has corrected those who are infected with arrogance. David, not only acknowledges this, he goes on in his prayer to his Maker – to say they are cursed. It’s not too hard to see, because we know what happened in Genesis 3. When we disobeyed God, we brought curses on ourselves. Sin is costly. In David’s prayer, he points out what happens when we become prideful people.

The Truth About Pride

When we begin to live for ourselves,we stray away from God.

“You rebuke the arrogant; those who wander
from your commands are cursed (vv. 21, NLT, emphasis mine).”

The root of pride is what happens inwardly. It starts before there are outward signs of pride. In our hearts, we refuse to submit to God and somehow think our ways are better than His. This is what happens when we become people of arrogance.

Those, infected with pride, experience the cost of rejecting God and His commands. It is a high cost. We know sin brings death and turns us into God’s enemies. Instead of being a friend of God, we have gone to the otherside – becoming His enemies.

David’s Protection

David’s prayer is focused on seeking God’s protection from such people. David wanted God to be his shield against such people. Which brings up a new, important truth. When we refuse God and His Word, we not only hurt ourselves, we hurt God and His people. Sin not only costs us, but it grieves the heart of God and hurts those around us.

As a result of Noah’s sinful generation, God was heavily grieved (see Gen. 6:6). He grieves when we reject Him. He loves us to such an extent that He sent His Son to pay a price that wasn’t His to pay (see John 3:16).

God loves + we reject Him = God grieves, just as we do when we are rejected.

God’s Greatest Desire

God’s greatest desire is to walk in fellowship with Him. We were made to be in a close-knitted relationship with God. The kind of relationship we see here between David and his Creator. This is what God wants us to experience. He wants us to “draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”

Are we willing to invest in our relationship with God, our Creator?
Are we willing to submit to God, and draw near to Him?

We must decide if we will become people who are infected with pride or invested in our relationship with God. We need to ponder how invested God has continually shown Himself to be – in regards to us. Will we be infected or invested?

David’s Plea

David makes a plea before God, that the reproach and contempt would be far removed from him. Just as the stone is rolled away on the third day, David prayerfully pleas that God would roll away the scorn and contempt (springing from evil) that is placed in his life. While others breath evil, David continues to plant his feet at the seat of Christ. He continually seeks God’s face in all he says and does.

“… for I have kept thy testimonies (vv. 22, KJV).”

In our lives, what sources of scorn and contempt are there?
How are we bringing them to the throne of God?

David faced contempt against the leaders of his day “see vv. 23). Yet, he sought God. He prayed. He knew this truth before it was written in what is now the Bible.

“… let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.
There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace
to help us when we need it most (Heb. 4:16, NLT).”

God gives us the assurance of His promise to continually be our everything. He promises to be there, and give us the help we need the exact moment we need it. Will we bring our needs to “the throne of our gracious God.”

David’s Pleasure

Despite the obstacles David faced, his hope remained in God. Instead of fixating on what was going wrong in his life, he brought it before our great God. He brought it before the Lord, and stayed immersed in the Word of God!

David calls the testimonies, his delight!

Every day we are given 24 hours, how are we using those hours to make God and His Word our delight?

Not only is God’s Word the one thing we need to listen to, we need to be like David – calling the Word our counselors (see vv. 24). Instead of trying to get help from his friends or other leaders, who would of used their influence to sway him from God’s path, David sought out God. He knew to be careful where he turned for advice, because others don’t love God like he did. This is wisdom we, too, need to take to heart.

God’s Word needs to be the place where we run. Not solely in times of distress. God’s Word needs to be where we run daily. We need to make His Word our lifelong guide.

Discipleship Journal – Day 214

Luke 13:10-21; 1 Timothy 1:12-20; Proverbs 2; Ezra 3

Proverbs. If we seek wisdom, we will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of the God! God is the Giver of life, and so many other good things, including wisdom. He gives us wisdom. In my ESV Study Bible, the commentary adds: “The purpose of the gift of wisdom is to protect the paths of the saints”. When we make the choice to welcome wisdom and diligently seek it, we reap many blessings! Seeking God’s wisdom for our lives is the best thing we can pursue. We need to be about making the wisest decisions that we can and pursue more courageous living that the world so often misses, and they miss it by forsaking God! Will we choose to joyously pursue the Lord and His awesome wisdom?

Luke. Wow! To hear Jesus utter such words: “Woman, you are freed from your disability”. Jesus knew the extra weight she carried and what it did to her! Physically, emotionally,… spiritually… Immediately she was able to stand up straight. And, she glorified God! That was one incredible Sabbath to spend at God’s house and experience such healing… The kingdom of God starts out small and grows to an unimaginable capacity. That’s God’s power at work!

1 Timothy. In this passage, Paul describes God’s mercy and why we need it so badly. We are so undeserving of God’s great mercy. “Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners” (1:15).

It’s crucial that we recognize God’s mercy at work. We need to realize that salvation is the free gift of eternal life, but Jesus paid a heavy cost! God has been so patient with us,,, Let’s repent and turn to the Lord while He is near and can be found. We all are sinners, in need of God’s great mercy. God sent His son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins, taking our punishment for being God’s enemy by breaking His laws. We need Him! Won’t you turn to Him, recognizing you’re in need of Him today? Let’s hold to Him unswervingly, knowing our great need for the Lord.

Ezra. The altar and temple are rebuilt! There is fear among the people, because of the people of the land. Once the altar is complete, there is daily sacrifices being made. There is giving to support the temple’s rebuilding. There is great shouting and weeping going on, and much praising the Lord.

Their focus is on praising God.
It is not on Babylon.
They still had much to fear.
But, there was joy amidst through deeply troubling times.
God was and is with us no matter what we face.

Discipleship Journal – Days 178-183

Luke 7:18-35; Colossians 1:15-29; Psalm 125; 1 Chronicles 3-4

Luke: The people weren’t responding. Even though Jesus responds to John’s disciples and many were healed. The scripture states: “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” 

The Pharisees and lawyers did not respond. All this is going on, and folks remain distant and unresponsive to the truth of the Gospel. Jesus is the Messiah and God’s son. He stood there at the creation of the world. Jesus calls John the Baptist one of the greatest, yet even the least in the Kingdom of God are greater than he is! Still, these hard-hearted folks do not respond to the truth. Will we repent now, or remain unrepentant like these?

Colossians: There is just so much in this passage, and it is awesome if we would let it sink into our spirits. Jesus is the exact image of God that for so long has been unseen. By God, all things have been created. Things seen and unseen, Jesus remained there at the creation of all these things- thrones, rulers, authorities, heaven, earth. All things created by and for God! ❤ Now for the promise, HE holds all things together (1:17). HE is the head of the Church! In everything, may He be preeminent. He is greater than everything else. In HIM, the fullness of God dwells, and through HIM, He saw fit to reconcile Himself with all of the world, taking on the sins of man, and making peace through the blood of his cross. We are spared, in only this way. Nothing else, but Jesus, can spare us from the wrath of God that we deserve due to our sin.

It is here in this passage that I can feel the love of God most clearly than I have before. It is here and now, the presence of God felt so strongly. God is good! We do not deserve any of it, but it sure does show the grace of God. We do not deserve to have a holy God enter earth, especially not as a small baby laying in a manger. We do not deserve Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. We do not deserve it! We once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before Him! (vs. 21-22) If indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the HOPE of the Gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under Heaven (23-24a).

• Do we know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior?
• Are we praying about how to minister to others?
• Are we proclaiming Christ to others? Pursuing to present everyone as mature in Christ?
• How are making sure we, ourselves, are maturing in Christ?

Psalm: We, who trust in the Lord, cannot be moved! God never leaves us. He continues to surround His people, doing good to those who seek Him!

1 Chronicles: Few women mentioned in the sister roles: Tamar (whose story makes me sad- see 2 Samuel 13), Shelomith, and Hazzelelponi in terms of the linage.

One name is mentioned alongside their prayer to God: Jabez (4:9-10). I wish we had their whole story, but this small chunk is all we have been given. We can know a few things about Jabez though. Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. Jabez called upon God. Jabez prayed for the blessings of God to fall upon him. Also, Jabez wanted God to be with him in everything. Jabez also sought the protection of God. Are we seeking these things ourselves? Do we seek a relationship with the Lord? Do we seek God’s protection alongside His blessings?

Discipleship Journal – Days 157-159 (OT)

Luke 2; Ephesians 3:14-4:24; Psalm 119:41-64; 1 Kings 9-12

New Testament here

1 Kings: There is so much extravagance that Solomon got to experience, that’s in addition to the wisdom the Lord gave him! What I am taking extra notice of is Solomon’s heart, as it was in a different place. I can imagine the temptation as a man with so much to offer, it may have been difficult to overcome temptation. Solomon, a man who disobeyed God and gave into temptation. It would be easy to call him a player, but it wouldn’t touch at the real issue: his heart. He gave himself to many others. His wives. Their false gods. Continually making the decision to ignore God and His instructions for Solomon’s life. After God spoke to him, for a second time, in chapter 9, he knew what God was wanting him to do. However, Solomon didn’t follow God’s way. Instead Solomon chose his way, many wives, false gods, the whole deal. As someone who is single, it helps to read passages like this where Solomon responded foolishly to what God had so lovingly lavished on him (such riches and wisdom). I can see God’s protection for allowing me to remain single, to be more careful to be completely devoted to Him- not allowing anything to cloud that or my judgment.

Single or married, are we seeking to honor God with what we have been given? What about our hearts- are we taking care of them first? How are we tending to our relationship with Jesus Christ? Do we realize our need for Him?

“As for you, if you walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever…” 1 Kings 9:4-5a

God has every right to discipline us when we refuse to listen to Him or follow His ways. Does He discipline us? Yes. Scripture says He disciplines those He loves. 

The Truth I am Mindful Of:

God sent His son Jesus Christ, so we may experience an abundant and eternal life. Because of the blood of Jesus Christ, I can be forgiven and am when I daily ask. It’s not because of me. Because like Solomon and Jeroboam, I screw up every day. Every day, I guarantee you, I do something wrong. It can either be by what I am thinking about, saying, or doing, but I mess up every day. I have been given the gift of being forgiven by my Eternal Savior. You can be too. Jesus Christ died on the cross to save me and you of our sins and the punishment that sins bring upon us. God cannot look at sin, but what joy to know God has forgiven me. When I ask for His forgiveness, it is done. I am forgiven. God chooses to not remember it again (see Hebrews 8:12). He chooses to let that be full forgiveness that is *out of this world*! Knowing how much God loves me, it makes me want to live with integrity. I want to please Him. I want to live a purity and blameless life, through relying on the Lord and doing my best with what I am given each day. 

The Lord’s Response: 9:3-9
The Testimony of Solomon: 10:1-9
Solomon’s Love for Women: 11:1-3, 6, 9-10, 33, 38
New Leadership: 12:20, 28-33

Psalm: “Lord, teach us Your Word”. God’s Word changes things! So many things happen as a result of being in God’s Word, and for me that’s what this chapter brings. It reminds us of all the things that happen, as a result of God teaching us His Word. Because of God’s Word, we can hope, walk freely, speak, delight, and lift up our hands (119:43, 45-48). Because of God’s Word, we can seek His favor, think about our ways, and turn back to Him (119:58-59. .When we make it our practice to be seek God, by reading His Word, we will want to obey Him. We will want to know more about Him, and to have a relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ! We will realize our need for Him! So much happens when we come to God, to seek Him, to be in His Word that He has so faithfully given to us.