My childhood was very dysfunctional. I didn’t know just how dysfunctional it was until I became an adult. As a teenager, I found myself completely lost, heading in a destructive direction. This is why I love that the biblical word for lost doesn’t mean dammed or doomed, but rather it means misplaced—not in the place it was ever intended to be. And the biblical word for found means to be put in the place it was always intended to be.

I was found when I walked into a Bob’s Big Boy restaurant at the age of 17. The gospel conversation I had that day with a friend changed everything. God extended His mercy and grace to me in a vinyl booth. He adopted me into His family, where I was intended to be all along. I was found!

Up to that point in my life, holidays had never been special occasions. Easter was the first holiday I celebrated as a follower of Jesus, and it has become my favorite. 

Recently I read through the Passion Week. When I got to Mark 15:38, this jumped off the page:

“The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (NIV). The tearing of the temple curtain indicates that we now have free access to the Throne of God through Jesus Christ. The separation between God and man is removed—torn from top to bottom by God himself.

Reading this turned my attention to Hebrews 4:16: “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (NIV). We all have times of need as we serve in ministry, so keep the four following thoughts in mind:

Come boldly—the curtain is no longer there; we can now come boldly.

To the Throne of Grace—this is where the Seat of Justice and the Seat of Mercy unite. Jewish Rabbis have taught that God has two thrones—one of mercy and one of justice. They have taught this because they knew that God was both merciful and just; but how could these two attributes of God be reconciled? They are reconciled in the Throne of Grace! 

That we may receive mercy and find grace—through Jesus and the cross we can receive both mercy (not receiving what we deserve) and grace (receiving what we don’t deserve).  

In our time of need— I am so thankful that God provides help in our time of need. No need is too small (see Philippians 4:6). Whatever you may be facing, His grace is sufficient.

Let’s approach Him boldly on behalf of the people He has entrusted us to serve.

Editor’s Note: Share this article with your leaders this week as we approach Easter. Let it encourage them, and be encouraged yourself, not to get off-focused on the many church and family activities of Easter … but on this glorious fact: We can access the Throne of Grace! Be encouraged—again—that we serve a mighty, risen Savior and that because of Christ’s sacrifice we can approach the Throne of Grace.