Living In the Presence of God

God desires an intimate relationship with me and you. From the very beginning of the world, God walked with Adam and Eve regularly in the garden building a close relationship with them. Adam and Eve’s sin caused a break in this intimate relationship, and this break extended to the whole human race. Instead of desiring to be in God’s presence, they felt ashamed and hid from Him (Gen. 3). God could have rejected them and the whole human race, but instead He planned a way of salvation to restore their/our relationship with Him. Throughout the Old Testament, God continually sought out his people in the middle of their sin to communicate His plans to bless them. He established a covenant with Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; a covenant reminding them of his promise to provide a savior. In His ultimate outpouring of love, God humbled himself, became a man and lived among us, so He could seek and save us (Luke 19:10; Matt 9). He then died a shameful death on the cross to provide a way of restoration and forgiveness. Jesus, God’s only son, fulfilled God’s promise of salvation, in order that we might enter his presence unashamed.

The God of the Universe loves us so much that He was willing to send His Son to die for us and to pay the penalty of our sin. He wants us to be acquainted with Him, like He is completely and fully acquainted with us!

So, how do I respond? I live my life like it all depends on me, like God does not even exist. I make my plans, set my goals and move aggressively toward them. When someone or something gets in the way, I get frustrated or angry. In response, I tweak my plans and strive even harder to attain my goals. When my plans continue to fail, I get frustrated with God for not helping me to reach my goals. Do not misunderstand me, striving for and attaining goals marks a person living in the presence of God. However, holding with clenched fists onto those goals, draws us far away from God’s presence into bitterness, anxiety, or depression.

Rather than living as if I am the ruler of my universe and responsible for my successes and failures, I want to strive toward living like I know that it all depends on God, because it does. The only way to obtain this posture is to live in God’s presence. I need a reckless abandonment of my will and a resolute confidence in God’s will. I need to follow Jesus’ example, who when confronted with the hardest task he had to face, said, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42). If I can make my life’s motto, “Not My Will, But Yours Be Done,” I will have a peace that passes understanding. I can only get there by sitting at his feet every day, basking in His greatness, soaking in His word, and fellowshipping with other believers who are striving to live in God’s presence.

Lord, give me a reckless abandonment of my will and draw me into a resolute confidence in your will, so I may dwell in your presence daily.