1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Hello, and thank you for listening to your 2 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:17,280 Speaker 1: Daily Bible Verse, the podcast that examines one verse each 3 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:20,079 Speaker 1: day to learn more about God and his will for us. 4 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:24,640 Speaker 1: Has rejection ever made you hesitate in your relationship with God? 5 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:28,319 Speaker 1: If it has, I've got the resource for you. It's 6 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 1: my book Reframing rejection, how looking through a different lens 7 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 1: changes everything. I'm your host, Jessica Vin Rokel, and after 8 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 1: this short word from our sponsor, we'll continue with our 9 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 1: Lenton series when God Meets You in the Wilderness with 10 00:00:44,159 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: today's Bible verse Hebrews chapter four, verse sixteen. Today's Bible 11 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: verses Hebrews Chapter four, verse sixteen. Let us then approach 12 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 1: God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may 13 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:13,319 Speaker 1: receive mercy and find grace to help us in our 14 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:17,680 Speaker 1: time of need. Have you ever let something slip out 15 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 1: of your mouth and then realized how it landed in 16 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: another person's heart? I have, and Oh I still just 17 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:28,399 Speaker 1: shudder with that memory. But I don't let myself forget 18 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:31,320 Speaker 1: it either. You see, I learned a valuable lesson of 19 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 1: thinking before speaking and considering that not every thought or 20 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 1: opinion needs to be shared. Radical honesty can be radically hurtful. 21 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 1: Within moments of sharing that thought, the Holy Spirit convicted me, 22 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 1: and I knew I needed to talk to my friend. 23 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: The next day, I knew I was in the wrong, 24 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: and I knew she had every right to be hurt 25 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: and angry. That night, while I tossed and turned in bed, 26 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 1: I felt deep regret and feared losing her friendship. Thankfully, 27 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 1: she responded with mercy and grace, transforming my shame into 28 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 1: a moment of closeness. What could have been a moment 29 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 1: where I lost my most wonderful friend became a moment 30 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:20,960 Speaker 1: in time where I remember how much mercy and grace 31 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 1: she gave me, just as my friend offered forgiveness. Jesus 32 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 1: understands our weaknesses and stands ready to help us. God 33 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 1: welcomes us even when we expect rejection. He offers the 34 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 1: grace and mercy we desperately need. One of the best 35 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 1: things we can remember about Jesus is that he understands weakness. 36 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 1: He was tempted as we are, yet he did not sin. 37 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 1: Jesus can personally empathize with the feelings, concerns, frustrations, and 38 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 1: emotions we experience where we fail and fall Jesus resisted 39 00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 1: and prevailed. Because of that truth, Jesus has the power 40 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 1: to help us overcome if we rely on him. And 41 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 1: because Jesus knows our weaknesses, he is moved to compassion. 42 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:15,240 Speaker 1: We can confidently approach God, knowing he welcomes our prayers 43 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 1: and provides the help we need. Jesus opens the way 44 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 1: into God's presence, where we can always find mercy and 45 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: grace at God's throne room. The Throne of Grace is 46 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:33,520 Speaker 1: where we encounter God's love, favor, help, and forgiveness. It's 47 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 1: the place we receive wisdom, spiritual power, and every gift 48 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 1: we need. God provides all we need under any circumstance 49 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: if we come to him with confidence. That day long ago, 50 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 1: I didn't approach my friend's home with confidence because I 51 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 1: was so scared of the outcome. Unlike my hesitation with 52 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 1: my friend, God guarantees his gift. We can come fearlessly, 53 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 1: but say and we'll try to discourage us, causing us 54 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 1: to doubt God's grace or our worthiness to receive it. 55 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 1: The devil whispers that maybe God's grace has run out, 56 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 1: or it isn't for us, or that we're arrogant to 57 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:16,720 Speaker 1: think God would actually help us again in our weaknesses. 58 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:20,840 Speaker 1: But boldly approaching the throne of grace and means we 59 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: come without reservation. It's a daily occurrence, not just when 60 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 1: we get ourselves in a bind. We persist in coming 61 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:33,120 Speaker 1: to God. Jesus, our high Priest, intercedes for us. He 62 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:35,279 Speaker 1: went before us to make a way for us to 63 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: walk without shame right into God's presence Today is what 64 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 1: we have, and grace and mercy can be ours, but 65 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: we must take a step toward God, trusting that mercy 66 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 1: and grace await us, and then it's up to us 67 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 1: to receive it. We might think we've messed up in 68 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:59,599 Speaker 1: the same area one too many times, and if someone 69 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:03,840 Speaker 1: did that to us, we'd withhold mercy. But God, thankfully 70 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 1: isn't like us. Mercy means not receiving the punishment we deserve, 71 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 1: even if we fail repeatedly. God's mercy never runs out. 72 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 1: He is always ready to forgive, unlike human tendencies to 73 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 1: withhold it. And then there's grace. Grace is getting what 74 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 1: we don't deserve. It's the favor that comes when we've 75 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 1: royally messed up and God wipes our slate clean and 76 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:36,359 Speaker 1: he offers us a do over. In my mind, I 77 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 1: didn't deserve grace from my friend, but she gave it anyway. 78 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:44,480 Speaker 1: You see, too often we decide for God that we 79 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:47,919 Speaker 1: are not worth the trouble. Then we miss the truth 80 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 1: that He has all this grace and mercy we could 81 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:55,920 Speaker 1: ever experience if only we would boldly approach him. I'm 82 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:58,599 Speaker 1: beyond grateful for the mercy and grace from my friend. 83 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 1: Forgiveness revealed her mercy, and restoration revealed grace. And that's 84 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:08,359 Speaker 1: what I choose to remember because it's a beautiful picture 85 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: of what happens when we go to God in our 86 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 1: moment of weakness and need. As we continue with our 87 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:19,919 Speaker 1: lent series meeting God in the wilderness or God meeting 88 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: us in the wilderness, we can know without a shadow 89 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 1: of a doubt, with confidence that we can approach Him 90 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:29,640 Speaker 1: and He welcomes us, and He has grace and mercy 91 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:35,480 Speaker 1: for us. So today, take a moment to stop hiding 92 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 1: from God and with courage run to receive his mercy 93 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:45,240 Speaker 1: and grace. Let's pray, Heavenly Father, thank you so very 94 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 1: much for your mercy and grace Lord, that that you're 95 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:52,480 Speaker 1: just waiting for us to come. So God, we boldly come. 96 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:57,680 Speaker 1: We come without fear. We come because we trust that 97 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:00,680 Speaker 1: when you say something, you mean it, and you say 98 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:04,200 Speaker 1: that there's grace and mercy for us if we just 99 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:06,640 Speaker 1: come to you. So God, we come. We come in 100 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:10,600 Speaker 1: our brokenness, We come in our wilderness seasons, and we 101 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:15,560 Speaker 1: trust and we receive mercy and grace. In Jesus name, 102 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 1: we pray Amen.