Prescence

Presence (def) - the state of being in a specific place at a specific time, or the area immediately surrounding someone. Beyond physical location, it describes a person's commanding demeanor, poise, or a felt spiritual or intangible influence. There is a time when we will be in heaven and be in the presence of God, and we sing about it and think about it, and even dream about it! But what about here on earth in the middle? God's presence is here also. He was there for Moses and the children of Israel, and in Exodus, Moses brought up something God had said to him. Exodus 33: ¹² Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ ¹³ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” ¹⁴ The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” I need God's presence because I face difficult things every day, and without the presence of the Lord, I feel hopeless, and it is a miserable feeling. God's promise to Moses was a precious reminder that God was saying "I got this!"

That is the presence of God I must have in my life, or I am a drifting piece of driftwood that has no direction. But....with the presence of God, all things go the way they should. I pray for the presence of God, and then realize He has been here the whole time. The Psalmist said it this way in Psalm 139: 1 Lord, You have searched me and known me.² You know when I sit down and when I get up; You understand my thought from far away.³ You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways.⁴ Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, Lord, You know it all.⁵ You have encircled me behind and in front, And placed Your hand upon me.⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot comprehend it. ⁷ Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? Here lately, I have been desiring the presence of God at all times and in every situation, because I have had some terrible days as of late, and I have been beaten down, and I need the presence of God to lift me up.

So...... in this season in my life and with all of the negative I am hearing right now, God's presence has ministered peace and hope for me. Yes, in my mind. Yes, in my heart. Yes, in my spirit. God is here, and right now, as I write, I humbly say, "He is giving me words to write, and for that, I must say PRAISE THE LORD. Yes, really PRAISE THE LORD. When I have felt so weak and needed Him so much, He is here. When I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders, He has lifted that weight and replaced it with His weight that is soothing and real. When I am yoked to the Lord, the weight is still there, but God is making that weight bearable so I can continue to go on. Matthew 11:Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. God is the rest for my soul, and in this rest I realize He has been there the whole time. The old song You were there all the time really means a lot more to me right now, and I am experiencing God at a whole new personal level that I cannot explain, but it is real and very present.

Pray for His presence, and He will draw near to you as you draw near to Him, and you will be healed internally and externally. God is right where you need Him to be at just the right time when you need Him, and His presence is real and uplifting as He handles your burden with you, because He is right here with you… and me.

The Pilgrimage Continues,

David Warren