Standing Before God 17th Day in Lent (Monday) Read: Romans 5:1-11 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” Romans 5:1-2a (NIV) ‘Grace is the basis for our standing before God’. What does it mean to ‘stand before a King’? I enjoy reading the historical fiction books by Philippa Gregory. It is obvious in these books that there was a hierarchy in society in the Middle Ages. There was the upper class consisting of the kings/monarchs, nobles, knights, and clergy. Then the middle class tended to be the merchants, doctors, and those with important jobs; and then there was the lower class – the peasants and serfs who performed all the menial tasks and jobs. Firstly, to see the king you had to get through all the secretaries and make an appointment – only if you had an important issue. If it wasn’t important or considered necessary or beneficial to the kingship, there would be no way to stand in the king’s presence. Through the saving action of God in His Son Jesus Christ, God has allowed us to come directly into His presence and talk to Him freely. Back in the Old Testament times, the common people had to talk to God through the priests and offer sacrifices to make themselves worthy. Now we are reconciled with God. Reconciliation is talked about quite freely in society and between cultures and nations, but the essence of reconciliation is to bring people together with differences or conflicts and help them understand each other. Being reconciled with God means that He has come to us directly and made us clean through the act of Jesus on the cross. He opened Himself up for us to understand more of the nature of God. So, we can stand in His presence – the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We don’t have to ask for an audience from a priest or secretary. Through the grace of God, we can stand in His presence and ask Him for whatever is on our minds. We can understand and accept the grace and love that He offers us every day. Jesus’ act of suffering allowed us to stand before God. Prayer: Dear Lord God, thank you for your reconciling love and act of grace toward me. Being able to stand in your presence is humbling, helps me always to be appreciative. Amen. 2
A new creation
by Stuart Gray
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‘As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,’ declares the Lord, ‘so will your name and descendants endure’ (Isaiah 66:22).
Read Isaiah 66:18b–22
These are the last verses, bar two, in the final chapter of Isaiah, a book full of prophetic visions. A major theme of Isaiah is God’s judgement of external evil and inward corruption. Isaiah 66:18 refers to this judgement, ‘For I know their works and their thoughts …’, but it quickly moves to a time of gathering and restoration, ‘And I … am about to come and gather the people of all nations and languages, and they will come and see my glory’.
God is not just gathering the people of Israel, but ‘all nations and languages’. This indicates God’s plan to offer salvation to all people, not just Israel. He says that after the judgement, some survivors will be sent to the four corners of the world, to people who ‘have not heard of my fame or seen my glory’, to proclaim his glory.
This would have been difficult for the people in Isaiah’s time to grasp. Priests came from Aaron’s line, and Levites came from the tribe of Levi, yet the prophecy says people from all nations will serve in these roles. The idea of the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9) foreshadowed here is another example of the incredible interconnectedness between the Old and New Testaments.
And these nations, who have been the enemies of Israel, oppressors and idol worshippers, will now worship God and participate in a grand pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Then God declares, ‘As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me, so will your name and descendants endure’ (verse 22).
Isaiah 65:17–25 describes the new heavens and new earth with wonderful imagery of life, fulfilment, harmony and peace. There will be a transformation: ‘The former things [the fallen world] will not be remembered nor will they come to mind’ (Isaiah 65:17).
The new heavens and the new earth will be sustained by God, as will his people. There will be renewal under God’s reign, and his people will have everlasting life.
What a wonderful and joyous prospect.
Heavenly Father, your glory and majesty are hard for us to comprehend, as is your promise of new heavens and a new earth that will be sustained by you. Help us to keep this vision in our hearts as we face the highs and lows of our daily lives, so we always have hope for the future. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Stuart lives with his wife Pamela Dalgliesh in Mansfield, in the beautiful High Country of Victoria. In between helping to maintain a large garden and domestic orchard with 80 fruit trees, Stuart is a volunteer mentor for learner drivers, a Red Cross patient transport driver and is involved in a very active Mansfield Anglican church community. Stuart loves travelling, being outdoors and maintaining a fit and healthy lifestyle.
A feisty faith
by Stuart Gray
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Then Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’ And her daughter was healed at that moment (Matthew 15:28).
Read Matthew 15:(10–20) 21–28
The elements of this story are simple. A woman seeks healing for her daughter from ‘The Healer’. However, her encounter with Jesus is quite profound. A Canaanite – historic enemy of Israel – and a woman, possibly without a husband, so an outsider even in her own country.
Yet this woman recognises Jesus as ‘Lord, Son of David’. She pleads for mercy and, much to the disciples’ annoyance, persists.
Jesus’ initial reaction and conversation seem harsh. Firstly, he ignores her, which I’m sure is not a technique recommended by modern counsellors dealing with a distressed person. But the silence demonstrates how persistent the woman is and points to the strength of her faith.
Jesus then emphasises her ‘outsideness’. ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ This does not stop her. She ignores what Jesus has said but takes advantage of the fact that he is talking to her. ‘Lord, help me.’ A simple and humble plea for help.
But Jesus has not finished testing her faith. ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.’ Imagine the outrage that public statement would cause today! Social media would be white hot.
Again, this does not deter the woman, and her response is amazing. ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’ That response would take me a day or two to formulate.
In her response, the woman recognises Jesus’ purpose for the lost people of Israel. She trusts that he has mercy enough for those beyond Israel.
This is a story of powerful spirituality. The woman acknowledges her need, refuses to give up, trusts Jesus’ mercy and approaches him with humility.
Jesus meets us in our individual situations, in the down-and-dirty harshness of life.
I wonder what the disciples learnt from this encounter. The Canaanite woman foreshadows the inclusion of Gentiles into God’s kingdom. Yet even after the resurrection, some of the disciples struggled to understand that Jesus died for all people and nations.
Do we persist in prayer like the Canaanite woman?
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the examples of faith you have given us in Scripture. Help us to acknowledge our needs, be humble, trust in your mercy and be persistent in prayer. Thank you for accepting Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross so that all people and nations can have a personal relationship with you. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
Stuart lives with his wife Pamela Dalgliesh in Mansfield, in the beautiful High Country of Victoria. In between helping to maintain a large garden and domestic orchard with 80 fruit trees, Stuart is a volunteer mentor for learner drivers, a Red Cross patient transport driver and is involved in a very active Mansfield Anglican church community. Stuart loves travelling, being outdoors and maintaining a fit and healthy lifestyle.
Joyful expectation
by Pauline Simonsen
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
May God be gracious to us and bless us (Psalm 67:1a).
Read Psalm 67
We have heard and seen this week our God’s salvation for wilful humans, and that God’s heart is grace: undeserved mercy. We’ve seen this repeatedly in the Bible, and we see it in our own lives. Pause for a few moments and think of God’s goodness to you, entirely undeserved. Given to you, simply because the Lord loves you. Maybe name those gifts out loud – such as precious people, a home, daily food, good work – and thank God for them.
Truly, our only prayer as humans can be:
God, continue to be gracious to us! Continue to bless us with your wise provision and help. Continue to look upon us with your love. Continue, God, to be you: rich in mercy, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Then the people of the earth will know who you are, when they see your faithfulness and how you save and care for your people. And they will praise you too! All the people groups of all the nations will see, know and rejoice with us. They will see how our God rules with justice, and causes the earth to flourish for all people. ‘God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will honour him.’
The psalmist’s praise song sounds so positive, but it may seem a forlorn hope to us today, as we look at a world increasingly hostile to the God we know in Jesus. People are more wilful and rebellious against the Lord than ever. How unlikely that they will all recognise and praise the Lord!
But the psalmist’s prayer is right. Like Isaiah (see Isaiah 52:10), the psalmist prophetically prays in faith, declaring that all people of the earth will see the grace and salvation of our God.
And as we say this psalm with him, we speak prophetically into the future, declaring that the Lord Jesus will return to judge with equity and to rule with goodness. Every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that he is Lord, to the praise and glory of God.
Psalm 67 looks back to God’s faithfulness in the past, to his goodness in the present, and to his glory in the future.
Hold fast – God will bless us, and all the earth will praise our Lord!
Remind us, Lord God, when we see only the wickedness of our world, that your grace and salvation never fail! Lift our eyes to the horizon to look with joyful expectation for the coming of our King Jesus, when this psalm will be fulfilled. Amen.
Pauline lives in sight of the ranges in the beautiful Manawatu region of New Zealand with her husband Roger and their two cats. There, she leads Emmaus Bible College and offers spiritual direction and supervision to people from a wide range of backgrounds and denominations.