• “A woman can become a blessing to many (even to the one who harms her) through what she has learnt of God in her sorrows! To become a woman of God, one must be prepared to face many trials. Like the sandalwood tree that imparts its fragrance to the axe that cuts it.” – Dr. Annie poonen

Twelfth Day – Royal Invitation – by Francis R. Havergal

Coming Boldly

‘Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ —Heb. iv. 16.
“”THEREFORE!’ because we have ‘such an “*• High Priest,’1 touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and in all points tempted like as we are ;2 because He is’ a Priest upon His throne,” ever living, with His royal power to save to the uttermost,* and His priestly power to make intercession; ‘let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace.’5
Boldness and faith go together; fear and unbelief go together.6 ‘If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.’1 It is always want of faith that is at the bottom of all fear.

1 Heb. vii. 26. 2 Heb. iv. 14, 15, 3 Zech. vi. 13.
4 Heb. vii. 25. 5 Heb. iv. 16.’.. 6 Rev. xxi..8..
7 Isa. vii. 9.

 ‘Why are ye fearful?’ is the question for those ‘of little faith.’1 So, in order to come boldly, and therefore joyfully, all we need is more faith in the Great High Priest who sits upon the throne of grace.
Now, do not sigh, ‘Ah, I wish I had more faith!’ It will not come to you by languid lamentations about your want of faith. ‘It is the gift of God.’2 And if thou knewest this gift of God,8 and who it is that only waits to be inquired of,* that He may give it thee, surely thou wouldst ask of Him! For He giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not,5 —not even with all your neglect of Him and His gifts. Just ask / and he says, ‘It shall be given you.’6 ‘Ye have not, because ye ask not.’7 And let the least glimmer of dawning faith in your heart lead you to go on asking, and to pray continually, ‘Lord, increase our faith.’8 Then you will be able to come boldly; for ‘in Christ Jesus our Lord . . . we have boldness and access with confidence bythe faith of Him.’*
People do not come for what they do not want. Until the Holy Spirit shows us our need of mercy, and puts reality into the Litany prayer, ‘Have mercy upon us miserable sinners,’10 we shall never come to the throne of grace to obtain mercy.
So, if you have never yet felt that you could sincerely say, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner’11 (or,
‘He that into God’s kingdom comes,
Must enter by this door.’

1 Matt. viii. 26. 2 Eph. ii. 8. 3 John iv. 10.
* Ezek. xxxvi. 37. 5 Jas. i. 5. 6 Matt. vii. 7.
‘ Jas. iv. 2. 8 Luke xvii. 5. 9 Eph. iii. 11,12.
*** Ps. li. I. H Luke xviii. 13.

So, if you have never yet felt that you could sincerely say, * God be merciful to me a sinner’ ” (or, as the Greek has it more emphatically, ‘to me, the sinner’), and therefore have never yet felt particularly anxious to come to the throne of grace to obtain it, I would urgently entreat you to pray, ‘Lord, show me myself!’ When the Holy Spirit answers that prayer, you will be eager enough to come and obtain mercy! It will be the one thing1 then that you will be particularly anxious about.

Obtaining mercy comes first; then finding grace to help in time of need. You cannot reverse God’s order. You will not find grace to help in time of need till you have sought and found mercy to save. You have no right to reckon on God’s help and protection and guidance, and all the other splendid privileges which He promises to ‘the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ,’* until you have this first blessing, the mercy of God in Christ Jesus; for it is ‘in’ Jesus Christ that all the promises of God are yea, and Amen.3 But He is ‘rich in mercy,’* and ‘delighteth in mercy.’5 All who have come to the throne of grace for it ‘are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.’4 And then no less surely will they, and do they, ‘find grace to help in every time of need.”

‘Let us therefore come boldly!’
Behold the throne of grace!
The promise calls me near; There Jesus shows a smiling face,
And waits to answer prayer.
 
My soul, ask what thou wilt,
Thou canst not be too bold;
Since His own blood for thee He spilt,
What else can He withhold?

John Newton.

1 Luke X. 42. 2 Gal. iii. 26. 3 2 Cor. i. 19, ao.
4 Eph. ii. 4. 6 Mic. vii. 18. 6 i Pet. ii. 10.
7 Heb. iv. 16.

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  • “They only did what God permitted them to do, which enabled me always to keep God in sight… When we suffer, we should always remember that God inflicts the blow. Wicked men, it is true, are not infrequently His instruments; and the fact does not diminish, but simply develops their wickedness. But when we are so mentally disposed that we love the strokes we suffer, regarding them as coming from God, and as expressions of what He sees best for us, we are then in the proper state to look forgivingly and kindly upon the subordinate instrument which He permits to smite us.” – Madame Guyon

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For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, — Romans 1:20 (NKJV)

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