KEY VERSE

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings.”

— Hebrews 10:19, 22

 

ROOTED TRUTH

The veil that separated sinful people from the presence of God was not lifted gently or pulled aside. It was torn from top to bottom. Through Jesus, the way into God’s presence is wide open and it will never close again.

 

FAITH STORY

Inside the temple in Jerusalem, a heavy curtain separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, the room where the presence of God was said to dwell.

Only one person could pass through that veil, the high priest, and only once a year, on the Day of Atonement, carrying sacrificial blood. For everyone else, the veil was a daily, visible reminder of a painful truth: God is holy, we are not, and there is a gap between us that we cannot cross.

Then Jesus died. And Matthew records one of the most arresting details in the crucifixion account: at that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

From top to bottom. Not from the bottom up, as if human hands had finally managed to push through. From the top down. God Himself tore the veil. The barrier did not fall because we climbed over it. It came down because the Son made a way.

Hebrews builds an entire argument on this moment. Since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, let us draw near. Not tiptoe. Not hover at the edge. Draw near, with a sincere heart and the full assurance that faith brings.

Consider what that means. The room that was once off-limits to everyone but one man, one day a year, is now open to every person who comes through Christ, on every day of the year. The access Israel’s high priest approached with trembling is now ours with confidence.

Too many believers live on the wrong side of a veil that no longer exists. They hover in the outer court, afraid to come any closer, treating the presence of God as something to be approached cautiously and rarely. But the curtain has been torn. The invitation stands open.

Draw near. You are welcome in the room.

 

SCRIPTURE FOR DEEPER ROOTS

Matthew 27:50–51 — The curtain torn from top to bottom.

Hebrews 4:16 — “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence.”

Ephesians 2:18 — “Through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”

 

DAILY PRACTICE

Today, practice walking through the torn veil. Set aside ten minutes and begin your prayer by naming what makes you hesitate to come close, whether guilt, unworthiness, or a sense of distance. Then read Hebrews 10:19–22 aloud as your authority for coming. Pray with boldness, not because you are worthy, but because the way has been opened for you. Stay as long as you can, simply being in the room.

 

DAILY PRAYER

Jesus, thank You for tearing the veil. Thank You that the way into the Father’s presence is not guarded by my performance but opened by Your sacrifice. I confess that I often linger in the outer court, hesitant and unsure. Today I come in. Not because I am ready, but because You made me ready. I draw near with a sincere heart and full assurance. Thank You for the invitation. I accept it. Amen.

 

DEEP REFLECTION

1.  The curtain was torn from top to bottom, signaling that God Himself opened the way. What difference does it make to your confidence in prayer to know that access to God was not achieved by you but given to you?

2.  Do you tend to approach God as one who has been invited into the Most Holy Place, or as one who is still waiting at the veil? What keeps you from stepping in?

3.  Hebrews says to draw near with full assurance. What would it look like for you to live this week as someone with the freedom to enter God’s presence at any moment, without an appointment, a performance, or an apology?

 

#DeeplyRooted#DailyRenewed Devotions for a Grounded and Growing Faith