GOD'S PRESENCE

God's Presence

My years as a growing Christian has taught me many things, but the most important lesson I have learned, is that I still have a lot to learn! It is said that the Bible is a 'living' manuscript and I wholeheartedly agree! It is alive and infused with God Himself. It's no wonder why you can read it for a lifetime and never gain all it's wisdom and understanding.

I used to hear of 'God's Presence" often whenever I went to church or someone would pray for it. Naturally, I too. longed to have and feel His presence. I know I was not alone in this great quest. Many long for the presence of God, but it can seem so elusive.

Maybe that's the problem...

In Exodus 33:11, scripture says "the Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks his friend." What a wonderful verse! How I envy Moses! 'I know, i know, that's wrong :( ' But can you imagine have God come to you, pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee and just chat with you?! I think I would never want to end that conversation!

So, later on in this same chapter, Moses is nervous about the journey ahead and God appointed him as the leader of this swarm of people. Moses in a sense, tell God, "You appointed me to this, set me over all these people and we don't even know where we are going! Come'on  God, you gotta give me a little more to go on; help me understand You and Your plan a little better."

Amazingly, God doesn't get upset and chew Moses out, but simply says in verse 14; "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Moses replies, "Cool, but if Your Presence 'doesn't' go, please cancel this whole mission!" :)

Of course God doesn't let Moses down and even does him one better; God reveals His 'partial' Glory to Moses! God's Glory is GOD! This was a 'HUGE' request!! And BOLD!! It is intimate! It is more intimate than a man asking to see his wife fully nude for the first time!

I'm not trying to be inappropriate, but that is the closest context I can use to help you understand what Moses was asking of Almighty God! This was bigger than asking for a burning bush; bigger than requesting 10 miraculous plagues; bigger than praying for a parting of a sea and witnessing a colossal pillar of fire and smoke. Moses' request could have only been asked when that level of intimacy had been established.

God's Presence, His Glory...it's God! 

And, I believe therein lies the problem. Many of us are seeking God's glory, thinking of it as an 'IT', when we should be seeking a 'Person'! An intimate relationship. Seeking the Seeker Himself!

When you have a close relationship like a spouse, sibling, child, friend, etc, your main goal is not to get something from them. The goal if intimate relationship is being with or having that person themselves! It should be different with God. Christianity is not religion; which is man trying to 'do' A+B=C type formulas and good works in order to come close to God and gain His favor. Christianity is about RELATIONSHIP! It is about coming to God, through Christ and KNOWING HIM!

So if you have a spouse or child or friend; do you become more intimate with them by merely reading their emails? Listening to their voice over the phone? Thinking about them every so often? * Notice I said "merely". 

An intimate relationship requires those things, but so much more! When you wake, do you speak to God? Do you talk to Him about the 'little' things and not just the big issues at scheduled prayer times? Do you invite along to work? school? the movies? when you are just sitting around? If not, why not? Why 'act' as if He is not there when He ALWAYS is?

See? You have to cultivate a relationship with God, by acknowledging God is ALL that you do! Make yourself conscious of His Presence. Talk to Him, not just daily, but hourly! Listen and watch to see when He responds. Become part of His world as you make Him a part of your world.

I know to some it may seem a bit silly; like having an imaginary friend, but in reality, just because you cannot physically 'see' God, does not make any less real! He is there whether you acknowledge Him or not. But if you constantly 'do' acknowledge Him, I believe you will begin to gain that intimacy with God like Moses had with Him.

"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your Presence? (Psalm 139:7)

God is with you; cultivate your relationship.

God Bless

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