Day 15: Jesus is Always Interceding on Our Behalf

But because he remains forever, he holds his priesthood permanently. Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, since he always lives to intercede for them. HEBREWS 7:24–25, EMPHASIS MINE

Knock, knock.

Who’s there?

Interrupting cow.

Interrupting cow, who?

Moooooooooo!

THAT WAS MISSY’S FAVORITE joke when she was four years old and first learning English. She’d usually erupt into giggles before she even got to the moo part, which then gave her the cutest kind of carte blanche to go back to the beginning and start the joke all over again. Of course, by the third or fourth round of knock-knock, we’d both be so tickled it didn’t matter whether she got to the end or not! Simply watching Missy’s brown eyes twinkle when she said, “Hey Mama, knock, knock!” and listening to her lovely Creole accent when she did her best to pronounce “interrupting” was enough to make my heart swell with affection. In light of everything my little girl had to endure and overcome after her first mom died when she was a baby, just seeing her alive is enough for me. But whenever my kid excels at something like doing cannonballs into the pool or multiplying fractions, well, you’d better shut the front door, baby, because this mama will absolutely commence happy dancing—preferably holding a huge, neon sign that says: “THAT’S MY GIRL!”

And the support doesn’t stop in the moments she doesn’t excel at something, either. Even in her hardest moments, her failures, her deepest struggles, I can still be found cheering myself hoarse for her. I’m still 100 percent for her. I’m still there to pray with her and advocate for her and ask God for things on her behalf that will help her get back up and take the next step forward.

I’ve been a Christ-follower since I was itty-bitty, and now I’m oldy-goldy, which means I’ve known Jesus for more than half a century. Plus, I grew up in a very conservative family and church culture and have been in vocational ministry for more than thirty years. I’m pretty sure I’ve been exposed to all the Bible stories in some setting or another—Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, Christian summer camp, youth group, worship services, seminary, revivals, women’s conferences, small group Bible studies, large group Bible studies, etc. But it wasn’t until I experienced what felt like a seismic shift in my heart several years ago when I began a doctoral candidacy at Denver Seminary that I began to actually imagine our holy trinitarian Creator-Redeemer feeling about me the way I feel about my daughter—belly-laughing alongside me, thoroughly delighted that I’m His daughter, pleased as punch that I’m learning new things about Him, and in my corner to help me along no matter what.

Our Savior is for us, y’all. He’s not gossiping with God the Father about how much weight we gained during COVID. He’s not holding a grudge about those Sundays we slept in instead of going to church because we were worn slap out. He’s not disappointed that we haven’t memorized entire books of the Bible like we were planning to after hearing a super inspirational speaker talk about the importance of Scripture memory at a retreat a few years ago. He’s not our adversary; He’s our advocate! And He doesn’t take time off either. Jesus is interceding for us (which means He “pleads or appeals” on our behalf, for our good) 24-7, 365 days a year. That means King Jesus is always in the stands of your life with a foam #1 finger and a handmade sign with your name on it, cheering Himself hoarse! And on the days you’ve really mucked it up and don’t deserve His support in the stands because you’ve done something really bad—on the days you’ve fallen flat on your face—remember He doesn’t leave the stadium. He prays and pleads and stands in the gap on your behalf to help you get back up and take the next right step.

So go ahead, tell Him your corniest joke three or four times in a row today or ask Him to swing you around in the front yard like your dad did when you were a kid or be honest with Him about any recent failing, and your heart might just hear either a faint, supernatural chuckle or a tender, “I got you.” Because He does. And He always will.

• WHEN YOU look back over your life, who has consistently been in your corner? What does it feel like to have an advocate like that?
• WHEN YOU IMAGINE Jesus looking at you, do you picture Him smiling, indifferent, or scowling? What is triggered in your mind and heart if you imagine Him cheering over you with an ear-to-ear grin spread across His incarnate face?