Devotion 3: Swung Wide Open

"By the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh." Hebrews 10:20

Separated. Each of us can recall a time in which we were separated from someone or something we loved. Whether it was a physical distance from a person or even an activity, we all can understand the frustration of having a barrier. Often, we try to get around the barrier by any means possible. We convince ourselves the barrier isn’t there, or we acknowledge the barrier and give up, deciding the distance between us and what we want is too great.

Sometimes, this is how we feel with Christ. We look to God and see His holiness and perfection, and imagine a wall of uncertainty before us that stops us from getting close to God. In the Old Testament, this barrier truly existed. The place where God resided was protected and limited to only the high priest who would go into the Holy of Holies. Even then, he only entered once a year in order to offer a sacrifice for the sins of the people. The barrier between God and His people was a heavy curtain, a separation, a divide that no human effort could bridge.

Hebrews 10:20 describes the demolition that the barrier took at the Crucifixion. In verse 20, the writer describes a “new and living way” that Christ broke through the barrier. The physical curtain veiling the presence of God from humanity was torn open by Jesus Christ. He was the way we could get to God, and just as the veil tore, so did the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. No longer would humanity have to be separated from God, but through Christ, the way was thrown wide open.

So, what are we supposed to do with this truth? Run to Jesus. Run to Jesus. Run to Jesus. You have full access to the Creator of the Cosmos. Take a hold of that! There is no barrier between you and the living God. If you do not know Him as the Savior and Lord of your life, repent and believe. For those of us who know Christ as our Savior, don’t hold anything back. When life brings storms, you have access to Christ. When blessings arise, you have access to Christ. Simply celebrate the reality that the God of all creation is open to you 24/7.