There is nothing more pleasant and uplifting than being in the presence of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. I have often felt His presence and the peace that comes with it while worshipping with other believers or in solitude. There have been times in my Christian walk when I have felt distant from Jesus. That loneliness encourages me to seek Him out not haphazardly but with all my heart.
To begin the journey back begin with a thankful heart, “Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms” (Ps. 95:2).
What is the result of having a thankful heart? It leads us into the presence and peace of God,
“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Col. 3:15–17).
What is ruling your heart lately? Fear of the future, understandable in our world today, concerns about family, we all have unsaved family and friends, health issues, which many of us have, financial difficulties, which are always present in today’s economy, food shortages, rising prices, the list can go on and on. But remember God is still on his throne in heaven and we have the promises of God and the hope of those promises imbedded in our hearts, “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom. 5:5).
The second thing we must do is show joy and be glad because we are children of God, we enter His presence with gladness and singing, “Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing” (Ps. 100:2 9)
I cannot emphasize any stronger the importance of gathering together in Church as one body; when we gather together in his name Jesus walks among us. In order to practice the presence of God, we must crave being in His presence. And right back at “you,” God’s craving is to have a relationship with His children. He wants you in his presence: to stand before him in love, hope, and faith that pleases God,
For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people” (2 Cor. 6:16).
God knows our hearts, and He knows the weaknesses of our hearts, and He loves us anyway, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it” (Jer. 17:9).
It boggles my mind how God can Love someone like me, but He does. Even more amazing, he wants to have a personal relationship with me and with you. What is it the Christian life promises? It’s an eternity in the presence of God? Isn’t that what we all crave. We don’t have to wait until we die and go to heaven to have that peace and enjoy the presence of God; we can have it right here, right now because of Jesus’ sacrifice and the Holy Spirit living in us, “Peace, I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).
Let us not be troubled and afraid as we see the madness playing out in the world today, but let us stand firmly on the promise of God: I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” Being in the presence of God, takes a life-time of hard work and discipline. But the rewards of a life-time of peace is worth the hard work. A right relationship with God is the only thing in this crazy world that can bring you peace when the rest of the world is falling apart.
Take time today and everyday, to practice being in the presence of Jesus,
Pastor, Jim