Your Daily Bible Verse - Lent: When You Need Understanding in Your Weakness (Hebrews 4:16)

0:00Life audio. Hello and thank you for listening to your daily Bible verse, the podcast that examines one verse each day to learn more about God and His will for us. Has rejection ever made you hesitate in your relationship with God? If it has, I've got the resource for you. It's my book, reframing rejection, how looking through a different lens changes everything. I'm your host, Jessica Vanrokel, and after this short word from our sponsor, we'll continue with our Lenten series. When God meets you in the wilderness with today's Bible verse, Hebrews chapter 4, verse 16. Americans have a big healthcare problem. Over 100 million U.S. citizens carry medical debt, but that's not the whole story.

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2:08with their faith and their values. At 316 Financial, 10% of our profits are given back to faith-based ministries, supporting work that makes a lasting difference. It's a simple idea. Everyday banking can be a powerful way to live generously, and you don't have to sacrifice quality to bank with purpose. 316 Financial offers modern online banking, no monthly fees, free ATM access nationwide, and competitive interest rates designed to help your money grow responsibly. Whether you're saving for the future, managing everyday expenses, or looking for a bank that reflects what matters most to you, 316 Financial makes it easy to bank with intention. One more and open an account today at bank316.com. Banking services are provided by 316 Financial, a division of Primus Bank, member FDIC. Today's Bible Verses, Hebrews chapter 4, verse 16. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy

3:13and find grace to help us in our time of need. Have you ever let something slip out of your mouth and then realize how it landed in another person's heart? I have, and I still just shudder with that memory, but I don't let myself forget it either. You see, I learned a valuable lesson of thinking before speaking, and considering that not every thought or opinion needs to be shared. Radical honesty can be radically hurtful. Even moments of sharing that thought, the Holy Spirit convicted me, and I knew I needed to talk to my friend the next day. I knew I was in the wrong, and I knew she had every right to be hurt and angry. That night while I tossed and turned in bad, I felt deep regret and feared losing her friendship. Thankfully, she responded with mercy and grace, transforming my shame into a moment of closeness.

4:13It could have been a moment where I lost my most wonderful friend, became a moment in time where I remember how much mercy and grace she gave me. Just as my friend offered forgiveness, Jesus understands our weaknesses and stands ready to help us. God welcomes us even when we expect rejection. He offers the grace and mercy we desperately need. One of the best things we can remember about Jesus is that He understands weakness. He was tempted as we are, yet He did not sin. Jesus can personally empathize with the feelings, concerns, frustrations, and emotions we experience. Where we fail and fall, Jesus resisted and prevailed. Because of that truth, Jesus has the power to help us overcome if we rely on Him. Because Jesus knows our weaknesses, He is moved to compassion. We can confidently approach God knowing He welcomes our prayers and provides the help

5:18we need. Jesus opens the way into God's presence where we can always find mercy and grace at God's throne room. The throne of grace is where we encounter God's love, favor, help and forgiveness. Just the place we receive wisdom, spiritual power, and every gift we need, God provides all we need under any circumstance, if we come to Him with confidence. That day long ago, I didn't approach my friend's home with confidence because I was so scared of the outcome. Unlike my hesitation with my friend, God guarantees His gift. We can come fearlessly, but Satan will try to discourage us, causing us to doubt God's grace or our worthiness to receive it. The devil whispers, maybe God's grace has run out or it isn't for us or that we're arrogant to think God would actually help us again in our weaknesses.

6:20But boldly approaching the throne of grace means we come without reservation. It's a daily occurrence, not just when we get ourselves in a bind. We persist in coming to God. Jesus, our high priest, intercedes for us. He went before us to make a way for us to walk without shame right into God's presence. Today is what we have. And grace and mercy can be ours, but we must take a step toward God trusting that mercy and grace await us. And then it's up to us to receive it. You might think we've messed up in the same area one too many times, and if someone did that to us, we'd withhold mercy. But God, thankfully, isn't like us. Mercy means not receiving the punishment we deserve. Even if we fail repeatedly, God's mercy never runs out. He is always ready to forgive, unlike human tendencies to withhold it.

7:23And then there's grace. This is getting what we don't deserve. It's the favor that comes when we've royally messed up and God wipes our slate clean and he offers us a do-over. In my mind, I didn't deserve grace for my friend, but she gave it anyway. You see too often we decide for God that we are not worth the trouble. Then we miss the truth that he has all this grace and mercy we could ever experience if only we would boldly approach him. I'm beyond grateful for the mercy and grace for my friend. Forgiveness revealed her mercy and restoration revealed grace. And that's what I choose to remember because it's a beautiful picture of what happens when we go to God in our moment of weakness and need. As we continue with our Lent series, meeting God in the wilderness or God meeting us in the wilderness, we can know without a shadow of a doubt with confidence that we can approach him.

8:29And he welcomes us and he has grace and mercy for us. So today, take a moment to stop hiding from God and with courage, run to receive his mercy and grace. Let's pray, Heavenly Father, thank you so very much for your mercy and grace. Lord, that you're just waiting for us to come. So God, we boldly come. We come without fear. We come because we trust that when you say something, you mean it. And you say that there's grace and mercy for us. If we just come to you, so God, we come. We come in our brokenness. We come in our wilderness seasons and we trust and we receive mercy and grace. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. The content we feed our minds will eventually show up in our lives. If we feed our minds the lies and confusion of this world, our lives will begin to reflect

9:32worldliness. But if we feed our minds the truth of the gospel, our lives will start to reflect the heart and character of Jesus. I'm John Stongy, and each week I host the dwell on these things podcast where we take a deep look at the Word of God and learn what it means to apply it to our lives. We don't skip difficult passages and we don't gloss over the truth. If you're looking for a show that will put your mind in a better place and help you understand God's Word with more clarity, you can listen to the dwell on these things podcast at lifeaudio.com or on your favorite podcasting app. The historical Jesus podcast is the sweeping saga of the life and times of Galilean Jesus of Nazareth, as well as the faith, religion and church founded to honor and disseminate his acts and teachings. Join me, Mark Vinet, on this fascinating journey through time exploring the many great works

10:35of Christian theology, literature, architecture, music, and art inspired by the words and deeds of Jesus Christ.