Come to Jesus Just As You Are

Imagine this: you are about to enter into a time of worship in church, and as the leader gives the invitation, he asks you and all the other believers to first search your hearts for any sin that would keep you from the Lord’s presence. Tell me, what happens to your heart when you begin to search for sin? And what happens to your worship?

One of the things that I was taught during my formative years as a Christian was that I had to search my heart for sin before worshiping the Lord. I felt as though I was entering a dark and dingy storeroom full of cobwebs each time I did so. I pictured myself peering around and searching for all my sins with a little torchlight. Been there? And the more I searched, the more I found and the more I felt unworthy to enter God’s holy presence.

Instead of being more conscious of the beauty and love of my Savior, I became more and more conscious of my sins, uncleanness, and guilt. Initially, I would have my hands, and I would be all ready to praise and worship God. But the more I searched my heart for sin, the more my hands would hang down with dejection.

How could I worship God? How could I have the courage and audacity to enter His courts with praise?

As I grew and matured in the things of God, I realized that the idea that you had to be “right” before you could worship Jesus is man’s tradition. For instance, the woman in Luke 7, who came to Jesus with an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, fell at His feet and worshiped Him. She washed His feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair before anointing them with the oil.

The Bible clearly records that the woman was a sinner, and many believe that she was a prostitute, but it says nothing about her stopping to search her heart or confess her sins before she worshiped Jesus. She worshiped Him just as she was, and after that, Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

I believe that the devil has tried to rob us of this tremendous truth. Whatever your need is, whether you are mired in debt, trapped in a particular sin, or fearful for your future, come to Jesus.

He is your Savior. He is your healer. He is your provider. He is your peace. He is your forgiveness. He is your “I AM” (Ex. 3:14), which means that He is the great “I AM” for whatever you need Him to be in your situation.

Whatever lack you may be facing right now, He loves you, and He is your solution. Come and worship Him just as you are, and He will meet you at your point of need. You don’t have to worry about the mistakes you have made because you are worshiping your forgiver. You don’t have to worry about your sickness because you are worshiping your healer. If believers really knew this truth, even wild horses would not be able to stop them from coming to worship God!

Beloved, come and worship with the boldness and confidence that this woman did. You will hear Jesus say, “Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

This devotional is taken from the book Reign in Life—90 Powerful Inspirations for Extraordinary Breakthroughs.