Therefore, brothers, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way He has opened for us through the curtain (that is, His flesh), and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.  Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.  And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote good works, not staying away from our worship meetings as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.   Hebrews 10:19-25 HCSB

When I worked in Probation and Parole about 1/4 of my job was in the courtroom.  I had to appear and testify on hearings being held to revoke someone’s probation or testify as to their progress at review hearings.  I was nervous at first, but I got used to it.  As an officer of the court, I often sat at the table with the prosecutor or up front in a special area reserved for those who work in the court system.  But no one strolled up to the Judge’s bench without being summoned or requesting permission to approach.  The judge held the highest position in the courtroom and was in full control.

Since I have retired I have had several occasions to be in court.  I was a victim of an attempted burglary and had to be in court for that shortly after I retired.  I went with a friend’s brother when my friend couldn’t go.  I have gone with a couple of friends to hearings to provide emotional support.  And I have been a plaintiff in a law suit.  Things are much different when you are sitting on the back side of the court.  You don’t have access to the attorneys or to the judge.  You don’t have the ability to request to approach the bench.  It’s a whole other world actually.  You are not allowed to speak for yourself in many cases so you pay big bucks to an attorney and trust that he or she will do a good job.

This attorney is your voice in court.  This attorney approaches the judge and holds those meetings in chambers that you are not allowed to attend.  For many years in my life I was a part of those bench conferences or conferences in the chamber, but no longer.  Now in all honesty, I am happy to be retired.  So I hope that I don’t have to attend many more court hearings.  My point is this, I may not be able to stroll into court and request to approach the judge’s bench, but I can get down on my knees and have the Almighty God listen to what I have to say.  Now sadly, I have known judges and doctors that think they are God and I pray for them, but when I pray I am praying to the God.  I am praying to the God who is in full control of all that happens in the universe.

Because God shed his blood, I can boldly enter into the sanctuary.  In the Old Testament days only the high priest could go into the sanctuary.  They would literally tie a rope on him with a bell on it.  If the bell stopped for a while and they had reason to believe that he may have died in there, they had to pull him out.  They couldn’t even go behind the curtain to get him out of there.  But we are told in Matthew 15:38 that when Jesus was crucified, the curtain was split into from the top to the bottom.  Jesus became the way to Christ.  He became our curtain or the entryway to God.  So that a miserable sinner like me can pray to the Almighty God through His Son, Jesus Christ.  I can lay my problems and my victories at His feet.  I can have access to Him.  I don’t deserve it, I didn’t earn it, but I have it.  God gave this to me and to you and you better believe that I will be bold enough to take full advantage of it.  I will pray to him continually (1 Thessalonians 5:7).  I will read His word and I will meet with fellow believers and study His word as often as I have the opportunity to do so.  I am in no way worthy, but I will be bold about it.

My prayer for you today is that you too will be bold.  I pray that you will have the boldness to enter into His house.  I pray that you will have the boldness to come to His altar and confess your sins and ask for His forgiveness.  I pray that you will be bold enough to take full advantage of the wonderful gift that God has given us.

If someone brought you a bag containing a million dollars that you knew you didn’t earn, would you turn it down?  Probably not.  Well God’s gift is so much better than money.  God’s gift gives us riches everlasting.  Won’t you be bold enough to claim it?  I pray that you will.

Have a great day!