ICS Daily Devotions
Finding Grace

Hebrews 4:15-16 (NKJV) For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Jesus is able to empathize and sympathize with us because He has walked on this earth. He experienced physical suffering, persecution, betrayal and was forsaken by His close ones and even denied by His disciples while He was on earth. He knew how Peter would deny Him three times. He also knew that His disciples would be dispersed when He was arrested. He knew He had to go through sufferings because this was the will of the Heavenly Father. He was pushed to the limit in the area of physical and emotional torment. He knew the trauma of suffering on the cross.

During this COVID season, many of us are separated from our loved ones due to restrictions on travel. Jesus fully understands and is able to empathize with us during this time of separation. He knows how we are feeling when we are physically and emotionally detached from our close ones. Jesus Himself experienced two separations. The first was when He left heaven to come to earth, the second was when the Heavenly Father’s face was turned away from Him as our sins were placed upon Him on the cross.

With this knowledge about Jesus, we should be comforted that He is able to share and understand our grief, pain and distress. He is willing to listen and minister to us personally.

James 4:6 (NKJV) But He gives more grace. Therefore, He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

The throne of grace is only accessible to the believers of Jesus Christ. Grace is a divine commodity given to the believer whenever we humbly come before the Heavenly Father by spending time privately to ask God for strength to overcome the challenges that we are facing. However, humility is a necessary pre-requisite to finding grace. Many people do not come to God regularly to seek grace from Him. They feel that they are able to achieve everything by their own strength and even though they may go to church, there is no humility in seeking the face of God. Often, these people will begin to cry out to God in desperation when they come to their wits’ end to solve their loss of jobs or other problems. However, if they never have been in a habit of humbly seeking God’s face for grace in good times, it would be a much bigger challenge to seek God’s grace in difficult times because it is like starting from ground zero. Sometimes we really do not know how far we have drifted from God until we are in a crisis.

Let us all be humble before the Almighty God. We need him on a daily basis and not only in a crisis.

Sermon Series: My Grace Is Sufficient for You