Read: Proverbs 15:8; Proverbs 15:29; Psalm 62:5-8
Have you ever heard any of these words?
“I can't believe you would do that. I thought you were better than that.”
“That is a silly reason to cry; so, stop it.”
“No one is afraid of that. Why are you?”
“Everyone knows you can't do that; so, stop trying.”
When people pour out words like those, I want to shrink back into the woodwork and make myself unseen. I surely don't want to be vulnerable around folks like that. Thankfully, God, Who knows everything about me, deals with His children very differently. Let's see why we can be ourselves around Him, being reminded that we are both known and loved by the One Who paid the ultimate price for our sins, 1 Peter 1:18-19.
1. He is aware of every wrong we have ever committed and all of those we will ever commit in the future. Instead of shaming us when we come to humbly admit a sin, He restores sweet fellowship with us, 1John 1:9. Remember how the Lord cleansed and restored King David after he repented and confessed his sins that surrounded his adultery with Bathsheba, Psalm 32:1-5. It was God Who sent Nathan the prophet to confront David so that he would repent, 2Samuel 12:1-13. God never stopped loving David even during those months when David lived a life that didn't bring honor to God. No wonder David could boldly ask God to restore the joy of his salvation and give him a willingness to obey, Psalm 51:12.
2. He is aware of every tear we cry and takes special note of those tears, Psalm 56:8. God is the One Who told Moses that He had seen the tears of His people and heard their cries. No shaming just awareness and a plan to set His people free, Exodus 3:7-9. This is our God Who told the widow from Nain whose son had just died, not to cry. He wasn't minimizing her pain. No, it was because His heart went out to her, Luke 7:11-15. This is the God Who will one day wipe away the tears of His people and bring an end to the pain which causes us to cry, Isaiah 35:10.
3. He is aware of our fears. Often throughout the scriptures, God gives reasons why we should not fear, and what He tells us brings comfort because it is based on His wisdom, power and love. He doesn't shame us for our fears; instead, He reminds us of truth so that we are able to keep going, Isaiah 41:10.One of my favorite stories that involves fear occurred in Gideon's life, and I'm not referring to the fleece that Gideon put out. It's even more wondrous to me because God was the One Who brought the comfort to the fearful one, even though Gideon hadn't asked for it, Judges 7:9-15. Can't you see it in your mind? Gideon and his servant sneaked into the enemy camp. What would they find? One of the men talking about a strange dream. And the meaning of that dream as determined by the man's friend? Israel would be victorious against the Midianites. Don't you love that about God? He emboldened Gideon and his men by helping them to not be afraid. God wanted to remind them that He had everything under control.
4. He is aware of not only our weaknesses but also our strengths. Often in the scriptures, it was God Who was telling weak and fearful people that He wanted to use them for His purposes. Sometimes, someone had a grand idea, thinking it must be God's plan for it to come to pass. When King David wanted to build a temple for the Lord and wasn't permitted to do so, God didn't shame him. Instead He called David's desire a good thing and allowed him to store up precious things so his son could build the temple, 1 Kings 8:17-20. We serve a God Who delights to use the weak things and people of the world to confound and confuse the wise, and we are often His visual aids, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31.
So, tell Jesus about your sins and failures. Cry to Him when pain is so strong. Tell Him about your fears, even those no one knows. Tell Him even about your outlandish desires to serve Him. Even if some don't come to fruition, He won't make light of your desire to honor Him.
“So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews 4:14-16
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