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From today's devotion -
Meditation on Hebrews 4:16
"Let us approach with boldness the throne of grace that we might receive mercy and find grace for a well-timed help." (author's translation)
Did you notice that my translation of this verse is a little different from the traditional one? Usually it is translated, "and find grace to help in time of need." But "grace for a well-timed help" is literal and accurate. There is no contradiction between these translations. The traditional one draws attention to our need; the literal one draws attention to God's timing.
I think we need to be focused on the grace of God's timing. When we have a need, we feel very strongly about when God should meet it. We want him to act now! It is not natural for us to think that God's grace will be shown as much in its timing as in its form. But Hebrews 4:16 reminds us to seek God not only for the kind of grace we need, but also for the timing of grace we need.
This can change our attitude in praying. God's timing is often odd, which is not surprising since "with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day" (2 Peter 3:8). The Lord can pack a thousand years of impact into one day, and he can take a thousand years to do a day's work. In the one he is not taxed, and in the other he is not hurried. As Peter says, "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness" (2 Peter 3:9).
So it's not surprising that a "well-timed help" might be different from God's perspective than it is from ours, but his perspective is always best. It is always grace to us. It should always be trusted for what it is and when it is.
So this invitation in Hebrews 4:16 is very precious to me. I need help, but I don't deserve it. Nevertheless, God provides help because his throne is a throne of grace, undeserved help. In every one of these needs the Lord has "grace for a well-timed help." Our duty is to approach him boldly, "find" it, and "receive" it from the throne of grace. We have every reason to believe he will hear us and help us at the proper time.
So let us come boldly to his throne of grace and receive what he has for us--a grace sovereignly designed and sovereignly timed for our greatest good.