THE SECRET OF HIS PRESENCE

“In the secret place of Your Presence You hide them from the plots of men; You keep them secretly in Your pavilion from the strife of tongues.” –Psalm 31:20 AMP

In the Old Testament times men equated the Presence of God with physical items or the physical manifestations of Him [i.e. the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies (1 Kings 8:21), thunder and lightning (Nahum 1:5), the temple in Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 22:10, 2 Samuel 7:13].  Now, in the New Testament age, we find Him much closer.  If we believe in and have turned our lives over to Him we find He has actually taken up residence in our hearts:

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” –Galatians 2:20AMP

“May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,” –Ephesians 3:17 AMP

Since He now lives in and has made His home in our hearts why is it many Christians do not experience His Presence?  Has he come and then left them?  No!  He has promised to always be with us (Matthew 28:20).  I believe that in the busyness of life we tend to stop to just be aware of His Presence.  Even in the 17^th Century when life was slower than it is today a man named Brother Lawrence discovered that He needed to know God’s Presence more.  He made it his life’s work to form a habit of conversing with God continually and referring all he did to Him.  This is what he called “Practicing the Presence of God”.

Closer to our century another man pursued knowing the Presence of God.  As A. W. Tozer states in his book, “The Pursuit of God”:  “The world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of God and the Church is famishing for want of His Presence.” He also stated, “We need never shout across the spaces to an absent God. He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thoughts,” as well as like Brother Lawrence regarding what we do in our every-day lives:  “Let us practice the fine art of making every work a priestly ministration. Let us believe that God is in all our simple deeds and learn to find Him there.”

If these great men of faith saw the importance of being aware of God’s Presence and practicing it in their every-day lives how about us?  What does God have to say on the matter?

“Seek, inquire of and for the Lord, and crave Him and His strength (His might and inflexibility to temptation); seek and require His face and His Presence [continually] evermore.” –Psalm 105:4 AMP

“Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and his days [seemingly] are prolonged [in his wickedness], yet surely I know that it will be well with those who [reverently] fear God, who revere and worship Him, realizing His continual Presence.” –Ecclesiastes 8:12 AMP

“But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His Presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].” –Galatians 5:22-23 AMP

How does someone seek the awareness of His Presence?  How do you find yourself in the presence of anyone?  By spending regular quality time with them.  Sharing your dreams and desires with each other.  So the key to seeking the awareness of His Presence?  Spend regular quality time with Him.  Share your dreams and desires with Him through prayer.  Find out what His dreams and desires are by reading His Word.  You already do that?  Excellent!  Now is the time to increase the effort.  Take time aside throughout the day to acknowledge Him.  Read His Word not only in the morning, but at noon, and before you go to bed.  Not enough time?  Do not let that stop you.  It takes less than one minute to read one verse.  It takes even less than that to say, “Father God, I love you!” 

“Seek the Lord and His strength; yearn for and seek His face and to be in His Presence continually!” -1 Chronicles 16:11 AMP

CALL GOD

I read an article recently about how calling collect is not as common as it used to be.  When I was a kid calling collect was where you made a call through the telephone operator asking her (nine time out of ten it was a woman) to reverse the charges.  She would place the call for you and you would wait for her to ask the person on the other end of the call if they would accept the charges.  If they said yes, then the call did not cost you anything.

When I was six years old my parents divorced.  At times we lived hundreds of miles away from my Dad but I remember the times when we would call him.  It was not often but I always knew that if I really needed him I could call him collect.  Collect calls were not the only ones you had to go through an operator for.  I think the most memorable phone calls I made to my Dad were when we lived in Spain.  This was before the days of cell, car, or satellite phones.  We made the call through the Atlantic Cable (a telephone cable which was laid out across the floor of the Atlantic Ocean).  You would say hello and then you would have to wait about four minutes to hear the other party say hello.  The conversation was always spaced with about four minute intervals waiting for the sound to travel across that cable from Spain to the United States and another four minutes from the U.S. to Spain.  When I reminisce about this I marvel at how I can pick up my cell phone today and call someone in Europe and hear them right away as if they are in the next room.

As I think of all these things I smile and give glory and praise to God that contacting Him has NO limitations.  I do not have to worry about how much it will cost because He bears the cost of any call to Him.  I do not have to go through an intermediary to get a hold of Him; I can speak to Him directly.  I do not have to wait four minutes between every sentence I speak to him; I can speak to Him non-stop right away.  We have an awesome God Who makes it possible for us to pray at any time, day or night, trial or terror, good times or bad.  I can speak to Him right now, today.  There are no limitations to prayer.  Call Him today.  He is waiting to hear from you!

“In my distress I called upon the Lord; I cried to my God, and He heard my voice from His temple; my cry came into His ears.” -2 Samuel 22:7 AMP

“He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.”   - Psalm 91:15 AMP

IS IT TIME TO BURY THE HATCHET?

“Bury the hatchet” is an American English colloquialism meaning "to make peace." It comes from the practice of burying weapons of war at the cessation of hostilities among or by Native Americans.  Although we do not use hatchets against those who hurt us today we do use words and actions which can do just as much if not more damage. 

A few years ago there was a man who I had to work with on a regular basis that always said or did something to offend me.  His words and attitude made me feel belittled and I would go away from our encounters fighting back tears.  I would often go home crying out to God, “Why Lord, why do I have to put up with this guy.  He always finds fault with me and whatever I do.”  After being offended so often one day I finally went home in tears crying and yelling out to God, “I can’t stand this Father God!  You have to fix this!!”  When I finally cried myself out and sat there quietly God reminded me of a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”   I realized that I was perpetuating the problem with my attitude of un-forgiveness towards this man. I had a grudge which I allowed to grow bigger and uglier every day I resented the man.  When I realized this I immediately asked God to forgive me for holding the grudge and I asked Him to help me forgive the man.  To this day, when I encounter this man and he does something that used to offend me I find myself smiling because it no longer hurts.  When I forgave him those few years ago I literally buried the hatchet with its sharp edge of bitterness and made peace.  Do you need to bury the hatchet of bitterness and un-forgiveness today?  When you do you will find that forgiveness will:

“Clear the bitterness away,

It can even set a prisoner free.

There is no end to what its power can do

So, let it go and be amazed

By what you see through eyes of grace

The prisoner that it really frees is you.”

(Quote is from the song “Forgiveness” by Matthew West)