The Dental Appointment

By Pastor Eric

I’m not sure about you but the dentist office is one of those places I dread going to. They always tell you, “this won’t hurt a bit,” and it does. I’m not sure if they are saying that it won’t hurt them or me but it always hurts. The sounds of drills, needles bigger than my mouth, and the taste of fluoride, yuck! This is one of my most “least favorite” places! 

This past week I had to make that trip. Even though I wasn’t the patient that day I still had butterflies. It was my daughter Emily’s turn that day. I picked her up from school and as we were driving to the appointment, Emily seemed nervous. I asked her, “Are you okay, you seem extra anxious.” She replied by asking, “Do you have a toothbrush and some toothpaste in your truck?” Thinking this was a strange request but wanting to understand more I asked her,  “Of course not, silly, who keeps that in their truck? Why do you need it?” Emily looked at me with a face of desperation and said, “I have to brush my teeth before I get to the dentist…I don’t want him to see my teeth this way.” With flushed cheeks she finished with, “What is he going to think about me if I don’t brush them first, I can’t go in there like this.” 

Have you ever had that feeling of anxiousness when you approach our Holy God? Have you ever felt unworthy, unclean, and so dirty that you are unable to pray or to even hold his Word? I know I have! How could a God so holy, so good, so perfect, so mighty, so loving want anything to do with me? I must be his biggest disappointment, why would he even give me the time of day? We cling to that feeling that we need to “get right” to “get clean” before we can stand in his presence…to even touch the hem of his robe. We need to brush our teeth before our appointment…we have to get them clean before he sees us this way. 

As I write this devotion with tears running down my face, I realize how much I need to be reminded of one simple truth and I get choked up thinking about it. I know that there are some of you reading this today that need to hear this next part too–you are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God! Our holy and righteous God loves you so very much! He meets us right where we are in this life…in our mess, our pain, our joys, our hurts, and our shortcomings! Jesus cries out, “Come as you are, you are my sons and daughters and my love for you is greater than the skies are wide! I see YOU, I know your deepest thoughts, and NOTHING will ever separate you from my unconditional love.” It doesn’t matter what the world thinks, what they say, or what they will even do…. God reminds us that we are beautiful, loved and cherished by him! We are the apple of his eye, exalted to high places, princes and princesses of the King! He sees YOU, and he loves you!! 

That’s the point–the power of grace! His blood is not only sufficient but exceeds any worldly expectation; a holy and righteous God loves us unconditionally, meeting us right where we are. There is NOTHING we can do to “get right”, NOTHING we can do to win his love, NOTHING we can do to earn his approval! Brothers and sisters, fall into the righteous arms of the Father! See him with your eyes, touch his wounds with your hands, let your heart be filled with his holy love, and know in your mind that Jesus is who he says he is. Believe with all your soul and know that the God of the universe loves you with NO strings attached!! 

Take a second to see yourself in the loving words of our savior, put your name in the blanks and read this aloud–as Jesus speaks your name HE SEES YOU and HE LOVES YOU…….

__________ is fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God and he loves me! It is by grace I,  ____________, have been saved, through faith—and this is not from myself, but it is a gift of God—not by my works, so that I cannot boast. For I, _____________, am God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for me to do. God loves me so much that, while I was still a sinner, Christ died for me! God sees me and God loves me!   

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1

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