Lost keys and the Throne of Grace

                      A little food for weekend thought:
      Lost my keys the other day.  Yeah, yeah, I know all about putting them in the same place everyday.  How many times have I given that lecture to our children?  sigh.  But that's just it--I always put them in the same place right by the kitchen door in a little container, so this had me completely bamboozled.  Where on earth could they be?  We've searched high and low--behind sofa cushions, in the cavernous recycling receptacle, under bushes, in every possible coat pocket, on shelves...no keys.
      My husband and I spent (or should I say "wasted") several hours looking for those keys yesterday--all to no avail.  Oh well, if the Lord decides we need to find them, we will.
      But here's the thing that convicted me--what was my first response?  Frustration.  Totally frustrated with myself that I could have so foolishly and irresponsibly lost my keys.  Frustrated at wasting all that time looking for keys.  Frustrated and worried that I have no idea where they are--you sure don't want a set of keys floating around out there in the great unknown.
      Yet the most frustrating thing of all is what I didn't do first--pray.  Instead, I went into full bore panic mode searching for those keys.  And the more I looked, the more irritated and anxious I got.
      Until a simple text from a friend:  "Pray about it so you won't be frustrated"  
      Well yeah, there's that.
      Somehow going to the throne of God for lost keys--and far more importantly for my sinful, ungrateful, grumbling heart--had not crossed my mind.  Sure, I had prayed a quick prayer that we'd find the keys, but had I prayed for a peaceful, joyful attitude in the midst of the search?  No.  Had I asked for forgiveness for my complaining, self-centered spirit?  Nope.  Had it occurred to me to ask God to give me that same kind of zeal and focus in seeking and searching for lost souls that I had at the moment for a silly, ridiculous set of lost keys?  Busted.  Oh forgive me, Father.
      But here's the good word.  Oh my, I keep coming back to it again and again this summer--"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb.4:15-16)
      Jesus understands our failures and false starts.  He can sympathize with our tendency to go to pieces over stupid stuff, or to go to grumbling and worrying.  Aren't you thankful He understands?
      But the even more glorious news is He overcame all that sinful gunk at the cross and now He lives to intercede for us...at this very moment.  When we're at our worst.  Our most selfish.  When we've blown it...again.  He tells us to come to with confidence (can you believe that?) to the throne of grace to receive mercy and grace to help us right there, right then, in our time of need.
      I'll never get over the wonder of that.  To go to the Highest Throne in the universe--a throne of power and majesty and greatness and glory--and to do it with confidence.  Not in ourselves, oh no...but in Him.  
      And when we get to that throne, we find not condemnation or even condescension (both of which we deserve), but mercy.  And grace.  And help.   Mercy and grace for our repentance and His forgiveness.  Mercy and grace for our failures and weaknesses and sins.  Mercy and grace to pull us up out of the mire and set us back on the path.  Mercy and grace to equip and empower us to live for His glory.  Mercy and grace to enable us to deal with whatever is facing us and to do it with peace in our hearts and a song in our souls.
      I love these words of Charles Spurgeon: "How encouraging is the thought of the Redeemer's never-ceasing intercession for us.  When we pray, He pleads for us; and when we are not praying, He is advocating our cause, and by His supplications shielding us from unseen dangers.  We little know what we owe to our Savior's prayers.  When we reach the hilltops of heaven, and look back upon all the way whereby the Lord our God hath led us, how we shall praise Him who, before the eternal throne has pleaded our cause against our unseen enemies."
       Oh thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord Jesus, our great, gracious, and merciful High Priest!   Thank You for always interceding for us--day and night, year in and year out, and at this very moment right now--and thank You for the unutterable privilege of coming to Your throne of mercy, grace and help.  Thank You for the cross that provided the bridge to Your throne in heaven.  Oh Lord, might we come this day and everyday to Your throne of grace to receive Your mercy, grace and help.  We love You, Lord.
      To God be the glory.