Knowing God's Presence

How would you like it if, while you were speaking with someone, they simply ignored you or carried on a conversation with someone else.  We often complain that we never hear from God, but do you think the God of all creation is going to speak when His Word is not respected enough to be listened to? Listen, if you can’t carry on a conversation with God, or treat what god calls holy as common; if you have irreverent attitude toward things of God, you need to repent.  I’m talking to myself as well.

How often do we in reverence stop to talk to God the Father?  James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”  Quit striving with God, wanting, wanting, wanting, but not giving, giving, giving.

Don’t we want to feel the rush of wind from the Holy Spirit to blow on us like the day of Pentecost?

“…there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind,” Acts 2:2 Why did they feel it?  They were in prayer, in one accord.

I want to hear the roar of the wind and feel the whole atmosphere charged with holy reverence.  I think you do too, but we aren’t prepared for it.  Why?  We don’t have the ‘Fear of the Lord.’  All true worship is anchored in reverence for His presence.  God says, “you shall reverence My sanctuary; I am the Lord.”  Lev. 19:30

Psalm 89:6-7   “For who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the LORD?  God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.” I have come to the conclusion that those who don’t fear God and reverence Him are walking in sin and not in the Holy Spirit!  This is a shocking statement, but there are many scriptures to back this up as we will see.

We first need to realize the greatness of God – “Who in the heavens can be compared to the Lord?”  We love to quote little sayings about the greatness of God like ‘He hung all the stars in place and named each one of them’.  “God can do anything”  “Mighty is the Lord”  “He is a God of miracles”.   All these things are true, but do we know them in our hearts with reverence?  We can also say, “McDonald’s makes the best iced coffee”.  Why, have I sampled it, or just heard people say it?   Going on a cruise is a wonderful experience, but do you know that if you haven’t tried it?  Have you felt the sea breeze on your face as you walked the deck and watched the twinkling stars in the great expanse of sky over the ocean?  If you haven’t, you really don’t know what its like.  This is true of knowing the greatness of God; the fear of the Lord and a reverence too wonderful to imagine.

Isaiah 29:13-16 “And so the Lord says, "These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. And their worship of me amounts to nothing more than human laws learned by rote. Because of this, I will do wonders among these hypocrites. I will show that human wisdom is foolish and even the most brilliant people lack understanding.” Destruction is certain for those who try to hide their plans from the LORD, who try to keep him in the dark concerning what they do! "The LORD can't see us," you say to yourselves. "He doesn't know what is going on!" How stupid can you be? He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you. You are only the jars he makes! Should the thing that was created say to the one who made it, "He didn't make us"? Does a jar ever say, "The potter who made me is stupid"? TLB

This is true picture of many Christians in America today.  People pay homage to leaders and dignitaries, movie stars, dirty-mouth comics and rock stars like they created the world, but there is no room for the one true God.  It sounds like the days of the Roman’s and Greeks and their many Gods.  God is worshipped by our own standards and not His!! 

I will be honest and candid; only maybe 3 times have I ever stood in the presence of the living God.  Let me relate one of these experiences to you.

            We had gone camping up on Hamlin Lake at Layman’s Landing.  We were all newly saved and experiencing the newfound joy of the Holy Spirit.  We met an evangelist couple who were staying in a cottage there, Pete and Joyce Host.  We became good friends and still are today.  They didn’t have hardly any money to live on and the people that owned the campground let them stay in this run-down cottage that was falling apart.  The roof leaked; mice ran freely in and out; it was damp and mildewy and not really a fit place for a person to live.

            Pete played guitar and sang new songs unto the Lord and also in the Holy Spirit, which were all new experiences to us former Catholics.  Pete was way ahead of his time; a Don Potter when don Potter was still a druggie.   One evening about dusk, us and two or three other friends from Ludington got together in that rundown cottage and began worshiping the Lord.  As we sang, the presence of the Lord entered that humble place and it seemed as though we were transported to a different realm.  I remember some laying face down on the dirty floor, their tears intermingled with the sand and dust.  As for myself, I stood there singing and worshipping as never before and God gave me vision that is as clear today as it was then. 

            A big white dove with a golden lasso in its beak circled over us, closer, and closer and then it dropped the lasso over all of us.  It then began to slowly fly upwards, tightening the lasso; tighter and tighter, pulling us together so tightly and as our hands were raised upward, we were melded into the body of Jesus himself.  We were one with the Lord!!!!  Nothing else existed except God and me.  I didn’t think of anything else or any other person. 

So many times we “feel” something; goose bumps, chills, etc. and say ‘We are standing in the presence.’  Let me tell you, to really be in the presence of the Creator of the universe is not a feeling, its being absorbed into God himself.  Its becoming one with him.  It’s beyond the intimacy of a man and woman.

We know that God is omnipresent, which means God is everywhere. David said in (Psalms 139:7-8 NKJV) Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? {8} If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. God is with us; His presence is very near us and as Christians He is in us.
Since God is present everywhere, when we talk about the presence of God we are really talking about the realization of God's presence, the perceiving of His presence, becoming conscious of His presence. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:8 NKJV)
It seems that when we are at our low points in life and it feels that God is a million miles away then we turn our focus on Him and immediately we are filled with the presence of His peace and comfort The second reason is because when we are at our lowest point we seek God with our whole heart and soul, He becomes our only focus, our only hope. “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.”  (Psalms 46:1 NKJV)
Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. {11} Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. {12} Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. (Psalms 51:10-12 NKJV)
There is a wonderful joy in salvation that comes from our inner most being where God dwells in our heart. (Psalms 16:11 NKJV) You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. His refreshing brings love, peace, and joy that could only come from God even when we are surrounded by trouble on the outside we can enter into His presence and have rest and security. And He said, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." (Exodus 33:14 NKJV)
The secret place of the Most High is the presence of God. He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shade of the Almighty. {2} I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." (Psalms 91:1-2 NKJV)