Where to Turn in Time of Need
Memory Verse: Hebrews 4:12-16
I. What do you do when you feel anxious and alone? Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." When we approach the Lord with our burdens, we can be assured that He will meet our innermost needs and show us how to handle every circumstance in life.
II. Jesus knows all our needs.
A. Reading the Bible reveals to us our real thoughts, secret attitudes, and personal hurts--as well as God's perspective on them (Heb. 4:12 ).
B. The Lord is intimately acquainted with all our ways (Ps. 139:1-4) and sees everything (Heb. 4:13). Because our loving, omniscient God knows what we need before we even ask (Matt. 6:8), we can have confidence that He will respond to our cries for help.
III. Jesus is our High Priest before the throne of God.
A. Under the terms of the Old Covenant, the Jewish people did not have access to the Holy of Holies, the dwelling place of the Lord's presence. Only the high priest could enter it, and even he was allowed to do so just once a year (Heb. 9:1-7). When Jesus died on the cross as the ultimate offering for sin, He made a way for humanity to have a personal relationship with God. Today, He is our High Priest (Heb. 4:14).
B. The Bible teaches that all humans are sinful (Rom. 3:23) and separated from God. The only way to the Father is by grace offered through Christ (John 14:6; Eph. 2:8-9).
C. Those who reject Jesus do not have the privilege of approaching the Father with their needs. They may occasionally experience what seems like answered prayer, but the Lord never promises to respond to the petitions of those who reject His gift of salvation.
IV. Jesus sympathizes with all our needs.
A. Our Savior knows what it is like to be human and experience temptation (Heb. 4:15). Because "He himself was tempted . . . He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted" (Heb. 2:18). From the biblical accounts, we know He experienced sorrow, rejection, loneliness, physical suffering, and the weight of our guilt, among other things.
B. Whatever your hurt, pain, suffering, sorrow, or temptation, Jesus knows exactly how you feel.
V. Jesus is ready, willing, and able to help us with our needs.
A. As our all-knowing God, Jesus is aware of all we lack.
B. As our all-powerful God, He is uniquely qualified to supply what we need.
C. We can approach the throne of God with confidence (Heb. 4:16). Rather than wondering if the Lord cares about our needs, we can ask with confidence for His help. As children of God, we can be secure that He will hear our petitions.
VI. Jesus promises to meet our needs in mercy and grace.
A. We can approach God's throne confidently only if we have accepted His gifts of grace and mercy. In mercy, the Lord does not give us what we deserve. In other words, He withholds the punishment due us for our sins. Through grace, He gives us what we did not earn: eternal life and the opportunity to have an intimate relationship with Him.
B. Being able to approach God with confidence doesn't mean that we have permission to be irreverent. We should come in an attitude of humility and submission. One way to demonstrate that is to kneel before Him if we are physically able.
VII. Conclusion: Perhaps you have always been a self-sufficient person, needing little help from others. Maybe you have brought that self-reliance into your relationship with God. But the Lord gives the full measure of His blessing only to those who are willing to depend on Him in every area of life. His invitation to each believer is: "Come boldly and confidently to the throne of grace. I'm waiting here to help you."
I pray you will accept God's marvelous invitation today and find the help that you need. In His way and in His timing, every single one of your needs will be met.