Experiencing God's Presence

Chuckle: Father and son are watching Television; "Dad, tell me again how when you were a kid you had to walk all the way across the room to change the channel."

Quote: "Goodness makes greatness truly valuable, and greatness makes goodness much more serviceable." --Matthew Henry

Jesus replied, "All those who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and live with them." (John 14:23 NLT).

As a husband and wife were riding along in their car, the wife asked, “why don’t we sit close together like we did when we were first married?”  The driver husband replied, “I haven’t moved.”

There are times in our lives when circumstances cause us to question whether God's presence is still with us – or has He moved away. When these thoughts come, they usually accompany a difficult time we are experiencing. We are tempted to ask, "God, if you're really here with me, why do you allow this to happen to me?" Why can't I sense you with me?

When we feel as if God has left us, more than likely it's because we have allowed some sin to enter our lives that has distracted us and caused us to move away from God rather than His moving away from us. The Bible says, "Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, purify your hearts, you hypocrites" (James 4:8 NLT). James gives us five ways to draw near to God and experience His presence anew:

1. "Humble yourselves before God" (4:7). Yield to His authority and will. Allow His Holy Spirit to fill and control your life -- be willing to follow Him.

2. "Resist the Devil" (4:7). Don't allow Satan to entice you, tempt you, and draw you away from Godly pursuits.

3. "Wash your hands . . and purify your hearts" (4:8). Be cleansed by confessing your sins (1 John 1:9) and lead a pure life. Replace your desire to sin with a desire to experience God's presence and purity.

4. "Let there be sorrow and deep grief" for your sins (4:9). Don't be hesitant to express to God your heartfelt sorrow for what you have done.

5. "Bow down before the Lord, and he will lift you up" (4:10; I Peter 5:6 NLT).

If you don't sense God's powerful presence in your life, remember Jesus' words in Revelation 3:20 to the church members at Laodicea: "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." Here, Jesus is speaking to Christians and is desiring fellowship with them. Notice that Jesus does not assume that His knock or His voice are being heard. He says "if anyone hears my voice." We must actively seek Him and listen for His voice to fully experience His presence with us.

Our Lord longs for you to enjoy a warm and loving fellowship with Him. You will experience God's presence daily as you look to His Holy Spirit for guidance in every area of your life. You cannot exclude Him from certain areas of your life and still sense the fullness of His presence.

Love, Jerry & Dotse