I love the book of Esther. A decree has been made, her people are in danger of being killed and she is the one who must petition the king.
But it wasn’t that easy, even as his wife she couldn’t come to him, into the inner court unasked, because unless he held out the golden sceptre to her she would be killed and the king hadn’t asked for her to come to him for thirty days.
So what does she do?
Firstly she prepares by fasting.
Then she puts on her royal clothes.
Then she fearfully approaches the king.
What happens? He holds out the sceptre to her, the way has been made for her to approach the king and she can confidently come and speak to him.
Friends, just as Esther prepared her heart by fasting, so we can prepare our hearts by quietening the noise of the world as we come to God.
Esther came trembling, she didn’t know if the king would hold out the sceptre between them for her to touch, so she might speak to him, or order her to be killed. The sceptre was the only thing that could save her from death.
In the same way a sinner cannot approach the King of kings without something between.
Just as that golden sceptre had to be held out for Esther to approach the king, we need a way to approach this great almighty God and King and that way has been made,…
it’s Jesus.
Jesus stands between us and a Holy God, interceding for us.
He stands with nail pierced hands and blood stained clothes and pleads on our behalf that we might come boldly before God with our requests….
‘Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he EVER liveth to make intercession for them.’
And once we’re saved how do we then come? We come just like Esther, clothed in royal robes, the robe of the righteousness of Christ, the one who was made…
‘to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’
BUT we don’t come in fear for our lives like Esther, we can come just as we are, as often as we like, with no fear of death because Jesus paid the price for sin and pleads on our behalf and God delights to hear us pray.
Friends,… ‘Let us therefore come BOLDLY unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’
We can draw near to God BOLDLY!
‘Let us therefore come boldly’ BECAUSE Jesus stands between. Come boldly Friend!
This word boldly in the Greek is parrēsiaand also means …
‘unreservedness in speech, openly, frankly, i.e without concealment’ and with ‘free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage,’
THIS is how we come!! We can tell God EVERYTHING, we can come with free and fearless confidence knowing that, for Jesus sake, He will hear us! We don’t need to hide anything from Him for He knows it all already.
‘Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’
Come Friend, come, through Christ and tell it ALL to your King, all your fears, all your troubles, all your sorrows, because He IS able.
Christ is the One…
‘In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.’ for He….
‘is able to deliver us.’
Heb 7:25, 2 Cor 5:21, Heb 4:16, Psalm 62:8, Dan 3:17.
With love
Sharon x
Sent from my iPhone
Encouraging Women to Seek and Abide... 