Experiencing God’s presence . . .

 

I usually forget what time my hubby leaves to have breakfast with a friend or to go golfing, but I always know he has gone — there is no sense of his presence. It’s the same if he steps out for a walk, to water the yard, or to talk to a neighbor. I’m not sure why I know he is away.

On the other hand, when it comes to God, I cannot see Him yet am usually intensely aware of His presence. In one author’s book (It may have been Andrew Murray) I read that the presence of God is like the air around us, unseen yet always there. Since that, it takes very little to sense He is with me.

Sometimes knowing God is near makes me tremble. The psalmist wrote: “Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob.” (Psalm 114:7) At times His presence is a great comfort, or a delight, or a reassurance. Whatever my reaction, it is seldom that He just shows up but that wonderful sense that He is always here, always with me. He knows what I am doing, even what I am thinking.

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. (Psalm 139:1–10)

At times, my husband or other people can be right beside me, but I am not thinking about them and may not be consciously aware of their physical presence. It is not the same as God. I can think about other things (sometimes to my shame) but when I think about God, that sense of Him being with Him increases and my heart rejoices. Praise comes, or prayers about needs, or that wonder of Him being near and no words need to be said.

Years ago, I read about a spiritual exercise that changed my life. Because I was sick as a child and often alone in a hospital room, I grew up with the fear of being abandoned. Then God had me reading Henri Nouwen. He suggested to go into a room where I would not be disturbed and think about whatever I feared the most. Let that fear wash over me and experience it fully. I did that, and the sense of being abandoned was so strong that I felt empty. This was painful, even terrible. Nouwen said this would happen and I should make no effort to avoid it, but let those emotions have control. I felt as if I would die and, in a sense, I did.

Then the surprise — a powerful sense of God’s presence came into that room, as if He were physically present and completely there — with me, never to go away or abandon me.

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5–6)

That experience of God’s promise stuck. He is here. I’ve no need to pray, “God, be with me” either for His presence or the sense of His presence. I might not think about it at times, but usually do, and in all kinds of situations. Not focusing on His presence is dangerous and can ruin my life!

PRAY: Lord Jesus, even knowing You are always with me, I’ve still not reached the perfection of making You an integral part of my daily decisions and activities. However, I love You and long to see You even though I know that You are as close to me as anyone can be. You are teaching me to talk to You easily and often, and You are answering prayer in surprising and delightful ways. Keep my heart focused on the reality that You are walking with me and holding my hand all the time, no matter what else is happening. What great delight in knowing You are with me, always!

READ John 14:1–31. What did Jesus say about my part in how He manifests Himself to His people? What does the Holy Spirit do for God’s people now that Jesus is physically absent?

 

 

The Lord is near . . .

The oddest prayer Christians make is, “God be with us.” It is odd because where else is He? God is omnipresent, a big word meaning He is everywhere. It took me awhile to realize that what people really mean when they pray that way is, “God, may we sense or realize Your presence with us.”

How does that sense become lost? It happened to Adam in the garden after he sinned . . .

“And they (Adam and Eve) heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’” (Genesis 3:8–9)

Hiding from God might happen because of sin but hiding from God is like trying to hide from the air around us. David pondered this impossible task and wrote:

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.” (Psalm 139:7–12)

Yet he knew, as do all of God’s people, that the sense of God’s presence can be lost. We sin and turn our backs. We resist the voice of the Holy Spirit. We get so busy with this life that we neglect the life of Christ within us. Yet, as Tozer says, God is here even when we are unaware of Him. No matter how dark our life might feel or how devoid of His being, He said He would never leave us or forsake us. He is here.

A man known as Brother Lawrence wrote a classic book around 1895 called, “Practicing the Presence of God” giving advice that might seem simple to some. He wrote: “He does not ask much of us, merely a thought of Him from time to time, a little act of adoration, sometimes to ask for His grace, sometimes to offer Him your sufferings, at other times to thank Him for the graces, past and present, He has bestowed on you, in the midst of your troubles to take solace in Him as often as you can. Lift up your heart to Him during your meals and in company; the least little remembrance will always be the most pleasing to Him. One need not cry out very loudly; He is nearer to us than we think.”

However simple this might seem, those who do it discover the value of this practice. At times, God’s presence is so obvious His breath can be felt on our cheeks, His laughter heard in our ears, His hugs touching our heart.

I’ve tried to make those things happen — by my imagination I suppose, but it doesn’t happen because I have a creative mind. Sometimes His presence is suddenly with me when I least expect it. This is a God-thing and when He comes with, “Where are you?” the important response must be, “Here I am!”

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Lord Jesus, I am blessed by Your presence, even at those times when it seems You are not here. Since You have promised to be with me always, paying no attention to those feelings is easier, as is being glad that I can say, “God, thank You that You are here with me, now and always.”

NOTE: Lots of bruising, wound like I've been stabbed, but blessed that I can sleep, and that movement becomes easier each day. Thankful for my hubby who has remarkable care-giving skills and thankful that the Lord lightened my load and developed muscles (a few weeks with a personal trainer) so I have some that take over for the others that are not working very well. Large pressure bandages are off, but left blisters. Nasty.