Our Approach
READ
When we enter someone’s presence, we carry with us a quiet set of expectations about how we will be received. The way we approach others often reveals more than our words ever could—it reflects the nature of our relationship with them.
Consider a child who knows they’ve made a mistake. The manner in which they approach their parent or guardian speaks volumes. If they are anxious or defiant, it signals that they expect harsh criticism or punishment. However, if they come to their parents with genuine remorse and a willingness to confess, it suggests something different—a relationship marked by trust, safety, and love.
A child who expects to be met with grace rather than rejection will draw near to their parents with honesty and quiet confidence. Their failures will not drive them into hiding—instead, their mistakes will compel them toward their caregiver in the hope of being made right again.
In much the same way, how we approach God—especially in the moments when we are most aware of our sin—reveals the health of our relationship with Him and the depth of our trust in the finished work of salvation.
Let’s take a moment to read Hebrews 10:19-22:
And now we are brothers and sisters in God’s family because of the blood of Jesus, and He welcomes us to come into the most holy sanctuary in the heavenly realm—boldly and without hesitation. For He has dedicated a new, life-giving way for us to approach God. For just as the veil was torn in two, Jesus’ body was torn open to give us free and fresh access to Him! And since we now have a magnificent High Priest to welcome us into God’s house, we come closer to God and approach Him with an open heart, fully convinced that nothing will keep us at a distance from him. For our hearts have been sprinkled with blood to remove impurity, and we have been freed from an accusing conscience. Now we are clean, unstained, and presentable to God inside and out!
REFLECT
The reality of the cross can radically transform our approach to God—if only we allow it to.
Because of what Christ has done on our behalf, we never have to fear entering into God’s presence. In Jesus, we can have confident assurance that regardless of how far we’ve fallen short of God’s glorious standard, He will meet us with mercy, grace, and loving redirection.
When we are overwhelmed with shame, we often attempt to hide from God. We avoid Him at all costs. We don’t approach His throne, because deep down, we are afraid He will reject us. We are afraid He will punish, shame, or belittle us.
But this is never how God receives those who have been washed clean by the blood of Jesus.
Christ has given us “a new, life-giving way” to approach God the Father: with the bold confidence of beloved, freely forgiven children. Even when we feel impure, stained, and unpresentable, we can come before God, knowing that we will be counted as righteous. We can come to Him honestly—with all our fears, requests, anxieties, and protests—knowing that He will receive us with gladness.
When we approach His throne, God wants us to come “boldly and without hesitation.” He wants us to trust that His love for us does not waver or fluctuate based on our performance. His acceptance of us is unconditional, because it is predicated on His loving character—not our ability to “measure up.”
My prayer is that with each passing day, we might learn to trust more fully in how God receives us. Because when we approach Him, His heart doesn’t burn with anger or resentment—it leaps with joy.
RESPOND
Take a moment to process what God might be leading you to do in light of what you read.
When you enter into God’s presence, how do you expect Him to receive you—with anger and condemnation, or with grace and loving correction?
What might it look like for you to approach God’s throne “boldly and without hesitation,” trusting that you are freely forgiven?
REST
Take a moment to rest in God’s presence and consider one thing you can take away from your time reading, then close your devotional experience by praying:
Abba, Father! So often, I fear coming into Your presence. I convince myself that my sin is powerful enough to change how You feel about me. I buy into the lie that I am too broken to be loved by You. Lord, remind me how You receive me! Remind me that because of the cross, I can approach You with bold confidence and without hesitation! Help me to come to You with all of my mess, trusting that Your love for me is unshakable. In Your Holy Name, Amen.
Port City writer Kate Redenbaugh wrote today’s devotional.