I take certain blessings for granted and don’t really think about them all that much from day to day.
I don’t think about what an undeserved gift it is that I wake up each morning and have good food in my fridge, warm clothes on my back, and a heated house in winter.
On a deeper level, I don’t think about what an undeserved gift it is that I can approach the almighty God—the one who created heaven and earth and everything in them. I, a poor and miserable sinner. And not just me, but you and every believer.
And how can we approach him? Not once a year or only if we’ve been especially good at following God’s commands, but every moment of every single day we draw breath on this good, green earth. Not with fear and trembling as we should because we’re sinful and God is holy, but with freedom and confidence.
And why can we approach him with freedom and confidence? It’s all because of our Savior Jesus. In him and through faith in him, you and I can approach God. Because of Jesus’ perfect life and sacrificial death on the cross, through which he rescued us from our sins, God is now our heavenly Father. We’re his dearly loved children.
We can come before God in the same way a child approaches her earthly father whenever she wants, knowing that she won’t be turned away. No, her father will listen and act in love according to her needs.
But even that beautiful relationship pales in comparison to our relationship with God. Earthly fathers are sinful. They don’t always have time for their children, and they don’t always do—or even know—what’s best for their children.
Our heavenly Father is infinitely better. He always acts in love toward us, his children. He always has time for us, listening to us and answering us with exactly what we need for our spiritual good. Not because we deserve such goodness from him, but because he loves us with an everlasting love for Jesus’ sake.
So often, I forget that, dear Christian.
I forget that I have the freedom—and the invitation—to come before God regularly in prayer with my concerns, fears, worries, intercessions, and requests. And when I do remember, I don’t always approach God with confidence. Instead, I hesitate, I worry, and I doubt that God will hear and answer me in the way that truly is best for me.
Maybe you have similar fears.
Let’s remember these comforting words from the apostle Paul, dear Christian: “In [Jesus] and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence” (Ephesians 3:12).
That undeserved freedom and confidence is ours—all because of Jesus.
Our sins are forgiven, we’re God’s dearly loved children, and he invites us to come before him always. He always has time for us. He always listens to us, and he always acts in love toward us, giving us exactly what we need for our spiritual good.
Want to learn more about the apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and the comforting truths he shares with you and all believers in that epistle? Check out Ephesians: The Unsearchable Riches of Christ, a devotional commentary by Pastor Roy W. Hefti.
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Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House. He has his Master of Divinity degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation.
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