Dave’s Monday Blast – August 31, 2020

The Presence of God is the most gracious gift God continues to give us as His children! Do you believe this my brothers? Moses writes a beautiful and powerful prayer in Numbers 6:25. “The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.” (This phrase has been made popular by a new song called The Blessing.) Craig Denison comments: “Rest in the sweet imagery of that prayer for a moment. Reflect on the goodness of having God’s face shine upon you. Feel the peace that comes from God’s graciousness. There is nothing better in life than encountering God because it’s only in His presence that we are truly satisfied.”

Scripture illustrates this truth in Psalm 84 when the Psalmist writes: “For a day in your courts…O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!” (Look up this passage and read it through several times.) To encounter God is to experience His goodness. To spend time in His presence is to experience the very “favor and honor” that only comes from His nearness. What would it be like to live your life entirely in the presence of God? What would change if you were to experience His goodness with every moment, waking or sleeping? How would the reality of His presence change the way you live your life for the better?

The remarkable thing is that we have no reason to live our lives apart from God. When Jesus died, God tore the veil from top to bottom that separated us from him. His tearing of the veil symbolizes the entire reason for the death of Jesus: that God can once again dwell among His people. And furthermore, when you became a Christian, you were filled with God Himself. He’s closer to you than the very breath that fills your lungs.

Denison continues: “You see, it’s by God’s grace that we have His presence. It’s by His love that He makes Himself near us. God’s Word tells us we can never escape His presence (Psalm 139:9 – 10; Acts 17:27 – 28). Your greatest gift is always available to you. No matter where you turn, God will be there. No sin can separate you from His presence because His presence comes to you by grace, not by your works (Ephesians 2:8 & 9). So great is God’s love for you that He offers you His gracious presence regardless of anything you do, right or wrong.

Spend time today simply being filled with God’s presence offered to you by His grace. This isn’t just a good idea…it is also a command from the Father to His children found in Ephesians 5:18, “be filled with the Spirit.” This passage is better translated, “Be being filled.”

I do love the simple truth of James 4:8: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”