Bible Verse
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Have you ever noticed how the moment we mess up, our first instinct is to avoid God? We skip our prayer time, dodge reading the Bible, and suddenly get really busy with anything except talking to Him. Today we're looking at one of the strangest parts of being human—how shame sends us running away from the only One who can actually help us, and why understanding this pattern might change everything about how we approach God when we're at our lowest.
Short Devotional
Think back to the Garden of Eden, right after Adam and Eve ate the fruit. The first thing they did wasn't confess or ask for help—they hid. They heard God walking in the garden, the same God they'd walked with before, and their immediate reaction was to duck behind the trees and cover themselves. This wasn't just a one-time mistake; it's become the human playbook for dealing with failure ever since.
Here's what's heartbreaking: Satan knows this playbook better than anyone. He whispers that we need to clean ourselves up before approaching God, that we're too dirty to come to Him right now, that we should wait until we feel better about ourselves. But Hebrews 4:16 flips this entire script: "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." Notice it doesn't say "approach when you're fixed" or "approach when you're worthy"—it says approach with confidence because it's a throne of grace, and grace is specifically for people who need mercy.
Let's Pray
Heavenly Father,
I come to You right now, even though part of me wants to hide. I admit that when I mess up, my first instinct is to avoid You rather than run to You.
I've believed the lie that I need to fix myself before I can approach You, and I've wasted so much time trying to clean up on my own when You were waiting all along to help me.
Thank You that Your throne is called a throne of grace, not a throne of judgment for me. Thank You that Your word invites me to come with confidence, not because I'm perfect, but because Jesus made a way for me.
I'm grateful that You already know everything I've done and everything I'm struggling with, and You're still inviting me closer.
Father, help me break this pattern of hiding. When shame tries to push me away from You, remind me that it's a lie from the enemy.
Teach me to recognize that my desire to avoid You after I sin is actually Satan trying to keep me from the very mercy I desperately need. Give me the courage to approach Your throne immediately when I fail, knowing that's exactly when I need You most.
I confess that I've made my feelings the judge of whether I can come to You. Help me trust Your Word over my emotions. When I don't feel worthy, remind me that I never was—that's the whole point of grace.
Strengthen my confidence in what Jesus accomplished, not in my own goodness.
In Jesus' name, who opened the way for me to approach You boldly,
Amen.
Journaling Prompts
Think about the last time you avoided God after doing something wrong. What were you actually afraid would happen if you approached Him in that moment?
If shame is Satan's voice telling you to hide, and grace is God's voice telling you to come, how can you tell the difference between the two in your own thoughts?
What would change in your life if your automatic response to sin was to immediately pray rather than to immediately hide?
The next time shame tries to convince you to stay away from God, remember that's exactly when you need to run toward Him. He's not surprised by your failure, He's not shocked by your struggle, and His invitation hasn't changed. You're always welcome at the throne of grace—especially when you feel like you're not.
Until next time,
May the Lord bless you and keep you;
May He make His face shine upon you;
And be gracious to you and give you peace.
God Bless!
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