Where's Your Confidence?

One of the all-time favorite movies is the Wizard of Oz. Imagine yourself being Dorothy after her long exhausting trip to the Emerald City to see the Wizard. She's ready to step up and make her request before the powerful Oz, but when she and her companions arrive for their audience they are terrified by the atmosphere. The tin man is "jangling", the lion is trying to escape, and the scarecrow is falling over in his state of fear. Have you ever felt like that when you come before God to pray? Do you feel small and overwhelmed by God, feeling like you can't measure up, that you are insignificant, or that He is intimidating?

God is certainly all powerful, and "Ruler of the Universe". He does ask for respect and honor from us, but ultimately he is not "hiding behind the veil" manipulating us. He wants us to know we have been invited into His presence.

In the Old Testament times when the Tabernacle was constructed there was a massive curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Tabernacle. It was many inches thick, and impossible to be hung or moved by just one man. It was in this place that the Ark of the Covenant was located and the place where the Spirit of Jehovah God resided. Only a priest was allowed access into the Holy of Holies, and only then, he was allowed after ceremonial cleansing and being prepared with a time of repentance.

That was the way it was until the very moment that Jesus died on the cross. When that occurred the curtain, or veil, was supernaturally torn down the middle. This represented the fact that Jesus had made possibly by His death, our access to God the Father. The dividing wall was down. We the common man now would be able to not only speak to, but to fully know the Father.


Exodus 40:33
Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.


Luke 23:44-45
44. And it was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45. the sun being obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two.

 Ephesians 2:14-16
14. For He Himself is our peace, who made both [groups into] one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15. by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, [which is] the Law of commandments [contained] in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, [thus] establishing peace, 16. and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.

Jesus became our High Priest, and now goes to the Father on our behalf, as He has suffered that we may know God and come before Him.

Hebrews 4:14-16
14. Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as [we are, yet] without sin. 16. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.
 
Hebrews 10:19-23 19. Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20. by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21. and since [we have] a great priest over the house of God, 22. let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled [clean] from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;

Jesus made the way for us to communicate with and to know God the Father. Because of Him we can "go behind the curtain" so to speak. So that we can have nothing separating us; full access to God.
We saw in the scripture last Friday that God invites us in to know Him. It is His desire to be in relationship with us. He desires fellowship and communication. When we communicate with someone we begin to learn about their nature. Knowing God's "nature" enables us to come to Him in prayer with confidence.
 
Tomorrow we will begin looking at scripture that speaks to us about God's amazing nature.

 

love,

Debra