“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.”
In October of 2021, a hiker got lost climbing Mount Elbert in Colorado. The hike was only supposed to last seven hours, but he did not return. Search and rescue called him several times to check in on him and to tell him to return. However, the Hiker’s phone kept saying “unknown number,” so he kept rejecting the calls. When he returned after nearly 24 hours lost in the woods, he told search and rescue that he had gotten lost trying to find his way back and that he didn’t answer because the phone number said, “unknown caller.” In commenting the Hiker said, “I didn’t think anyone was looking for me.”
Family, we are prone to wander. Sin is still with us, and those that claim otherwise call God a liar – to paraphrase 1 John 1:9. But what matters most is that we answer his calls when we are lost and that we come to him. Some of us don’t know who is calling because we couldn’t possibly think it was God. We think “I didn’t think he was looking for me.” Let me remind you that he does. He leaves the 99 sheep to find the one and celebrates. He searches frantically to find the lost coin and he celebrates. He embraces the prodigal son at his return, and he celebrates. Some of us know the Lord well, and when we wander we refuse to answer because we fear how he will respond. But every call serves to beckon you back into his presence. He calls you because he will never cast you out. He calls you because he prepares a place for you. He calls you because he has immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness for you. He calls you “…before his throne of grace that you might receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).
In other words, we must run to him. Again and again and again and again. Know that his heart welcomes you. He does not grow tired of you. He vows to keep you and to carry you into glory. All we must do is trust in him. Return to him. And believe him when he tells you that “where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more.”
Perhaps that isn’t enough for you. Perhaps you need some more tangible action steps – help me get this better pastor. What can I do to be better at this? To you – the avid spiritual workaholic – a prescribe one thing: nothing. What I see from the question “what more can I do?” is a tendency to ask “how can I deserve this?” The point is, you don’t. You will never deserve this. Stop asking God how much the gift cost on Christmas morning. Simply receive it.
I want us to learn how to be in Christ before we do for Christ. So your to do list is to do less. Untrain your capitalistic view in the economy of God. He gives freely. All we must do is receive. Then, once we received, we cannot live as those who do not possess his immeasurable riches. We will not continue to sin because the gift of his heart outstrips the value of the cheap promises of sin. What you reject when you choose to sin isn’t a cold hard contract. It’s the very heart of God. Live in such a way that you know you are loved. Learn what his voice sounds like. Add him to your contact list. Answer the call.