Don’t Run Away—Draw Near!

By Lauri Lemke Thompson

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 (RSV).

Whether churchgoers or not, many rarely crack a Bible. I have heard different people say all of the following. Maybe you can relate to one or more:

“It’s kind of boring.” “It has nothing practical.” “I already know all that stuff. I don’t see the point of reading it over again.” “The Bible has lots of strange stories that make no sense to me.” “It takes a pastor who has studied Greek and Hebrew to understand it.” 

Or more frequently: “I know it’s important, and I should read it, but I am so busy. Something always gets in the way.”  The most common response now to someone asking, “How are you?” is no longer “Fine” or “I’m doin’ okay”, but one word: “Busy”. And one’s busyness is worn like a feather in one’s cap. 

But I suspect another reason – one that is generally kept under wraps. I think often people want to avoid feeling more guilty and defeated than they already feel. All those shoulds and oughts and the proverbial dos and don’ts? “There’s no way I can live up to that,” the thought process goes, “so why even try – and why would I read something that reminds me of my many failings?”

I get it. Hebrews 4:12 says “For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Wow, the thoughts and intentions of my heart! That actually sounds kind of scary, but I noticed something wonderful: only three verses later Jesus is described thus: “For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are….” (RSV).

Reading the Bible does convict us of where we’ve gone wrong, but healthy guilt that leads to agreeing with God and getting back into fellowship with Him is so worth it. Christ is tenderhearted toward us. Yes, at times He points out our sins and urges us to change. But remember that His heart is for you, not against you. Nor will He ever ask you to do something that He does not enable you to do.

So draw near to Him. A good place to start may be by pouring a nice hot cup of coffee, or a spot of tea, and opening that Bible. (Or running to the bookstore to buy one, or ordering one from Amazon . . . or, wait, it’s actually just a couple clicks away by simply going to a Bible website or app!) Begin with the book of John, or maybe Romans. If you ever have trouble making sense of it, please don’t give up. Try a modern version, ask a friend – or ask God Himself to help you understand. After all, He wrote it. 

A Wisconsin native, Lauri Lemke Thompson appreciates living in the lovely Ozark mountains in Branson, Missouri. She is active in Christian Women’s Connection (Stonecroft) and the Ozarks Chapter of the American Christian Writers. Her two books, Hitting Pause and Pressing Forward, are collections of her columns, articles and devotions. Her bimonthly column appears in the Branson Globe newspaper.