The power of God’s presence should be one of the highest objectives in our lives.
THERE IS JOY IN GOD’S PRESENCE
Psalm 16:11 says: “Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy: at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” When God shows us the path of life He reveals that His path of life leads to His glorious presence where there is fullness of joy and everlasting pleasures. Read 1 Chronicles 16:27.
THERE IS HEALING IN GOD’S PRESENCE
Luke 5:17 says: “And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.”
THERE IS REST IN GOD’S PRESENCE
Is your soul restless? Go into God’s presence. There is where you find your rest. Exodus 33:14 says: “My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.”
MOUNTAINS MELT IN GOD’S PRESENCE
Are you facing mountains in your life? Mountains melt in His presence. Psalm 97:5 says: “The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the LORD of the whole earth.” Read also Judges 5:5; Micah 1:4; and Nahum 1:5.
THERE IS PROTECTION IN GOD’S PRESENCE
Although Psalm 91, the protection psalm, does not use the word “presence” it mentions all the blessings of divine protection to those who make the Lord their habitation, which is the place where God dwells.
Psalm 95:9, 10 states: “Because thou hast made the LORD, which is thy refuge, even the most High, thy HABITATION; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.” Those who make the Lord their dwelling place will experience His presence for God’s presence is His habitation, where He lives.
It goes without saying that those who call themselves the people of God should also be the people of His presence.
Have we lost sight of the power of God’s presence? Are we more content with the powerlessness of our own presence? God forbid. Many Christians, in the church and their individual lives, have never experienced the power of His presence. And yet we were born to experience His presence, in our earthly life, as well as in the hereafter.
ENEMIES PERISH IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD
Psalm 9:3: “When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.”
GOD’S PRESENCE PROVES OUR SEPARATION
It is not removing ourselves from the affairs of this world, but the power of God’s presence in our lives that proves we are the separated people of God. Exodus 33:15, 16 (NKJV) says: “Then he said to Him, If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.”
THE POWER OF GOD’S PRESENCE IS OUR RIGHT
Matthew 18:20 says: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Perhaps we need to re-examine what it really means to gather together in “His name.” We need to de-emphasize the names of our denominations, the name of our pastor, our own names, and instead train our hearts and minds to exalt and magnify only the name of Jesus Christ. When we gather in His name it stands for reason that what we do and say must have the approval of His worthy name.
We can longer try to stamp the approval of the name of Jesus on our gatherings together if Jesus Himself does not approve of the way we gather. To know and experience His presence is the stamp of His approval that we truly gather in His name.
The power of God’s presence will change our lives. And the lives of our families.
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell