“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)
God’s purpose will stand and He will accomplish His will, even when He needs to work His purpose through flawed and imperfect people, which is basically everyone. It’s hard to ignore the fact that so many leaders in the Bible had many serious flaws and shortcomings, but God is teaching us important truths about Himself through these characters.
Moses had a bad temper when he was a young man. He once saw an Egyptian taskmaster beating a slave, and in a moment of anger, Moses killed that Egyptian. After that, he fled the country, living as a fugitive for forty long years, working as a shepherd, but God never gave up on His original plan for Moses.
One day He called his name from a burning bush, and sent him back to Egypt, with a mission to lead his chosen people out of slavery. Despite Moses having a background of murder and knowing very little about the faith of his people, God knew he was the best one to deliver them. Moses experienced what is known in scripture as the throne of grace and forgiveness, as he was sent out on a new mission.
We all know the story of David with his many moral peaks and valleys, and yet God chose him to rule Israel. After each of his moral lapses, David always returned to the Lord with a repentant heart. This is why the prophet Samuel called him,
“A man after God’s own heart.”
(1 Samuel 13:14)
David, like Moses, also discovered God’s throne of grace that offered forgiveness, mercy and a fresh start.
Jesus chose twelve men, and then invested all of His trust in them to fulfill His great commission. By the world’s standards, those twelve men would have been considered the least likely to succeed in that calling. They had temperament problems, ego problems, and moral reputation issues. All of them were slow to learn what Jesus was trying to teach them, often missing His point, and yet Jesus never stopped believing in them for the task ahead.
Peter had a fear driven, impulsive temperament. After spending every day with Jesus for three years, he still pulled out his sword one day and rashly cut off the ear of the man who came to arrest Jesus. Later, Peter caved under pressure when questioned, and denied three times, ever knowing Jesus at all. Peter still had faith, but it was buried beneath all of his fears. Jesus forgave him, knowing that there was a great leader hidden beneath his impulsive personality.
From Moses to Peter, flawed, imperfect men throughout history have found forgiveness at the throne of grace, and rose up to new life in Christ. Their many shortcomings might arouse doubts and questions in others, but not to God. Their lives are a confirmation of hope for all of us. Since Jesus chose them, knowing their good and bad traits, He knew He could work with them and those twelve men brought Christ to the world.
God deliberately gives us these examples in scripture, to show that He can accomplish anything in anyone, despite how far they have strayed. He knows our faults and believes in us, even when we don’t believe in ourselves. Once we realize how patient God has been with us, it helps us to be more empathetic and patient with others, knowing God has good plans for everyone.
I recently saw a true story on a Christian cable channel about a man who was in prison for drug crimes but became a believer while he was incarcerated. He found the throne of mercy and forgiveness in Jesus, while behind bars, and discovered that God still had good plans for him.
His life changed and he began leading Bible studies in his cell block. Today that man pastors a church, which reaches out to a multitude of outcasts, who live on the fringes of society. He brings the truth to those who are least likely to know about Jesus, who never attended a church before. He now impacts the lives of those who are as lost as he once was.
Jesus said, “Whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” He promised to hold on to us, despite our mistakes and failures.
(John 6:39)
His mercy will always be greater than our sins. God hopes for all people to come to His throne of grace. It’s the place where God sees great potential in those who cannot see it in themselves.
Lord, thank you for always loving and believing in us. Help us to be pleasing to you, and when we fail, may we always return to your throne of grace and find the mercy that is greater than our sin. Amen
