presenceofGod

Titus Women

The Presence of God
by Frances Hughes

"Whatever you have learned or heard from me, or seen in me - put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:9 (NIV).

As a Christian have you ever been aware of the presence of God? Would you know it if you were in His presence? What do you think it would be like?

Each time we seek our daily time with the Lord, are we not going into His presence for fellowship, worship with praise for His greatness, love, salvation and blessings He bestows upon us? Is this not the most glorious time of the day? If I do not experience a time like this with Him, then I start searching to see what is wrong with me. If I can not worship Him as I want to, then I depart unto my own way and come back again at a later time.

Sometimes the evil one seeks to destroy this time I set apart by unnecessary interruptions, etc. I think we have all probably experienced this from time to time. Usually I tell him (the evil one) to go away and leave me alone for awhile, and he does.

Being aware of God's presence is indescribable, it has to be experienced. I never feel the same afterwards, and I thank Him for those rare times when I was so overcome being with Him I could not do anything afterwards for awhile while I returned into my own awareness again. I am not speaking about any time that He has spoken to me audibly, this has not happened. Or have I been in a trance-like state. He makes His desires and will for me in a heartfelt way that I know right away, if it persists, that it is Him speaking to my heart.

Sometimes people come to mind out of nowhere and I feel that they need immediate prayer. And times later when I would remember it, I would ask them if they had a special need at such and such a time, and they would say yes now that you mention it.

I have searched out some verses that indicate and tell about the presence of God which you may find interesting. This covers a good portion of the Scriptures and in a variety of ways shows how His presence has a consequence or a requirement of us to experience it.

Exodus 33:14-23 (KJV)

After Moses prayed to God for direction after he had led the people out of Egypt, God said to him, "My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest." God also told Moses that he could not see His face since no man shall see Me and live. So while God passed by Moses, He put him in a cleft in a rock and covered him with His hand. After He passed by He took away His hand and Moses could only see His back and not His face.

This tells me much about God. It speaks of His holiness being so pure and the light that He is, being so powerful our eyes could not behold it. This is known as "The Glory Of God."

1 Chron.16:23-26 (KJV)

23 "Sing unto the Lord, all the earth; show forth from day to day His salvation. 24. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all peoples. 25. For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; He also is to be feared (reverential trust) above all gods. 26. For all the gods of the people are idols; but the Lord made the heavens."

This last verse shows that the idols could do nothing while the Lord made the heavens, something no one else can do.

Psalm 16:11 (KJV)

"Thou wilt show me the path of life. In thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."

To know the fullness of joy, it can be felt in His presence. To be so overjoyed as this must be I can't imagine what it would be like.

Psalm 31:19-20 (KJV)

19. "Oh, how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for those who fear thee, which thou hast wrought for those who trust in thee before the sons of men! 20. Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man; thou halt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues."

Psalm 97:5,6 (KJV)

5. "The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. 6. The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the peoples see his Glory."

Psalm 140:13 (KJV)

"Surely, the righteous shall give thanks to thy name; the upright shall dwell in thy presence."

One glorious day we shall dwell with Him in His presence forever. I can hardly wait! If you are not ready to do this, please seek Him out and you will never be unhappy to have made that decision to belong to Him.

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