Scripture
"I am with you always, even to the end of the age."-Matthew 28:20
As I grew in my relationship with the Lord through the years, my perspective of His presence had to shift. I can recall phrases made by saints, "God really showed up in the service today." or "I don't think the Holy Spirit was in that place." These words spoken often meant that the people expected more or received alot from their services, but depending on who was listening, it perpetuated error in people's concept of the presence of God. The truth is, He is omnipresent. Throughout scripture, God has revealed Himself and it is we who need recognize that He is active and present in the world and in our lives. There are multiple examples of the active presence of God in scripture. David declared in Psalm 139:7, "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or, where can I flee from Your presence?" God told Moses, "My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest." (Exodus 33:14). Though these scriptures declare that God is always there, we continually 'look' for Him to 'show up' in our services and in the situations in our lives. He's ALWAYS there.
So, what does being attentive to His presence look like? Jesus admonished people to "listen", "watch", and "hear" many times in the New Testament. It was important that they stay alert. The concept is the same for us today. God does not need a church service or prayer gathering to show up, He is already with us. He is present with the mother folding laundry and taking care of the house. He is present with the man working on the construction site. He is present with the child in school and the young adult on the college campus. When the Lord manifested Himself to Moses, he was completing his daily task in the field. The key is being conscious that God in our midst. Remember Martha's busyness when Jesus visited? She was so hyper focused on hospitality that she could not enjoy the presence of the Lord right there in her house. Our busyness, even doing Kingdom work can distract us and really diminish our awareness of God's presence in our midst.
At times we look for the big encounters with God as proof that He is with us, but that is not what He wants. He wants us to cultivate our awarnes of His presence every moment of our lives. We are to be cognizant that He is there in everything that we do and every where we go. Once this happens we'll begin to be conscious of 'how' we live our lives in light of His presence. Do we live a life that brings honor or dishonor? Start practicing cultivating His presence today. Beloved, ask God to help you recognize His presence and experience Him in your life daily. It takes us being intentional in this practice.
Let's Pray
Father, thank you that Your presence surrounds me always. Help me become more aware of your presence in my daily life. May I be a dwelling place for Your presence, Lord, so that I can live in a way that honors and reflects Your love. Amen
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