WordLive - Year OneSample

Prepare: ‘Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker’ (Psalm 95:6, NIV). Spend a few minutes on your knees or bowed before the Lord before proceeding.

Access to God
It is often said, ‘It’s not what you know; it’s who you know.’ I have attended many functions and sat in special seats, not because of who I am or anything I did, but because of someone I knew. Let’s see if the writer to the Hebrews would agree with this comment.

In discussing the tabernacle, see how few words he gives to the tent (vs 2,3) compared to his comments about the furniture. He is more concerned with the items representing people’s ability to have access to God than with the venue. He doesn’t go into detail because his readers are scripture scholars and know it already (v 5). (You can read more in Exodus 25–31,35–40.)

Any time, any place
To have access to God, people had to follow rigid instructions. Even then, the main functions of tabernacle worship were only carried out by the priests (v 6). Not even the most spiritual of the high priests had access to God at any time other than once a year (v 7).

A sinner like you or me had no chance of drawing near to him. Yet today, if we accept what the Lord has done for us, Jesus Christ gives access to God at any time in any place.

Respond: Spend time worshipping God. Thank him for this privilege. It really isn’t about who you are or what you’ve done. It’s all about Jesus and what he’s done for you.

http://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2012-04-28