The Message of a Flat Tire, Part 3
The Message by: Rev. Benjamin Miller

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

How quickly our lives come to a screeching halt when we have a flat tire! Mine quickly slowed to a crawl as I wrestled with changing that tire. I had a strange "Yellow Brick Road" mantra going through my mind as I labored: Flat tires, hot heat, and gnats, oh, my! But finally the task is over, and I've got my flat tire in hand. Now, there's some of you reading this article who know exactly what to do at this point. I am not one of them. If it is beyond the ministry of Fix-a-flat, it is beyond my ability to fix. Luckily, there are good folks around that know exactly what to do. Left to my own abilities, I'd still have a flat tire. I needed help.

Sacred moments come into all of our lives, and we realize that we need God's help. The writer of Hebrews speaks powerfully to the child of God in the above verse. His tire is flat, and there's nothing he can do to change it. He needs answers beyond himself and abilities he doesn't possess. He desires the help that God affords His people. In desperation, he throws Himself upon God's mercy and asks His help.

Notice how the author visualizes approaching that throne of grace. The image is not one of a cowering, blubbering mess before God. Instead it is one whose steps are sure and confident in the task at hand. Do not make the mistake and assume that he is arrogant before God. It simply infers that the believer possesses an extreme confi- dence in approaching God. How can this be? How can a sinner come boldly before a sinless God?

The author answers by referring to God's seat as a throne of grace. It is not by our merits or abilities, but by the gracious provision of God through Christ that we are able to come into His presence. Try to come boldly into His presence without the covering of Christ; you will be burned up in the light of that presence. But in Christ, we possess the right to be called children of God. We are acceptable in His sight and therefore able to petition His help for us. That is grace sufficient for each day. And we all desperately need it. Every one of us needs His help.

All of us are found in the same sinking boat of sin. We know collectively as much about pleasing God as I know about fixing a flat tire. What a blessing it is to know that there is One whom we can go to with all of our needs! It is in those weaknesses that God shows Himself to be perfectly sufficient to handle our lives. As we put this flat tire to rest, I want you to consider your life for a moment. Is it flat and useless? Do you find it filled with sins and weights that keep it deflated? It is not too late to find help in your despair. Perhaps it may be time to allow God to fix that tire once and for all.