Throne of Grace

In my distress, I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free.

—Psalm 188:5 (NLT)

Distress is a place of despair. It is a place where you feel deserted and alone. It is a place where your mind runs wild with worry. Are you distressed at this very moment? Is life overwhelming? Is fear choking your faith? Your distress can become a place of freedom instead of a place of imprisonment. The Lord waits for you to come to Him. He waits for your need to come to His altar. When you turn to the Lord in prayer, He answers with the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead. When you surrender at His altar, you too are raised into the freedom of new life.

“Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God,” says the writer to the Hebrews. “There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:16 NLT). He waits at His throne of grace with a love that looks beyond your failures and sin, and He recognizes your need. He waits with a grace so forgiving and so complete that nothing can impede its power to change your life. When you come in distress and torment, your soul cries out for His mercy and for His help. Your soul thirsts for His grace when your heart is strained to the breaking point. His mercy forgives, and His grace lifts you up when you have fallen down. You come to His altar—to the all-powerful, infinite, and sovereign God who can move mountains and change circumstances and lives.

He waits for you at His altar. God yearns to love you intimately and wants to call you His child. There, on your knees in complete surrender, you receive His forgiveness. There, you find freedom from sin that has imprisoned you. There, you discover freedom from despair and worry. He lifts your head to meet His gaze, and you are lost in the love of His sacrifice. You receive His grace to meet any need. You are free in His forgiveness and love. He has redeemed your soul, and He has redeemed all that has burdened your heart and tormented your mind. You rise in His grace and freedom. You rise in victory and joy. You rise in peace and purpose. You rise free from sin and free from self. You rise in His new life. You are set free by the Savior who—by His sacrifice—opened this throne of grace to you. You rise in new life because you have knelt before Him and allowed Him to own your heart.

Form Me, Fire Me, Fill Me

© 2017 Lynn Lacher