Live in His Presence

In the message "Enter His Sanctuary" we saw how the seemingly complex and confusing portions of our life are most often made clear as we open the door of our heart and enter His sanctuary. His ways are much higher than ours, "as the heavens are higher than the earth" (Isaiah 55:9), and His true purpose cannot be understood without a heart dedicated to glorifying Him in worship.

We are called to a life of worship; and though we use the phrase "enter His sanctuary," I pray it comes as no surprise that the presence of God is not confined within the walls of our church buildings. We do not call Him "down" to join us as we sing our songs, and He is not any closer because of the outward expression of our worship.

Matthew 28:20
"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

One of the last promises Jesus made was though He was returning to the Father, He would always remain with us - to the very end! The presence of God is with us right now! He is as near in our most decorated centers of worship as He is when we are on the bus or alone in our car; "never will I leave you" (Hebrews 13:5).

One of the great blessings most believers miss today is that our Heavenly Father is much closer than we realize: "If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast" (Psalm 139:8-10). He is VERY near, and His great desire is that we would join Him in an intimate and worshipful fellowship in whatever circumstances our day may bring.

We fellowship with our Creator by continually communing with Him, whether in deep prayer or simple conversation, throughout the day. We must present EVERY thought, word, and deed at His feet as our absolute best offering of love. When impure thoughts or our deceitful tongue pulls us away, we should immediately turn them away, ask His forgiveness, and return to His presence. As impossible as this may seem, this is the worship God desires - and the worship He deserves. We ought to adopt this as our lifestyle today and continue until He takes us home.

His presence is available to every believer! Some jobs or home environments may pose a challenge, but He has promised to be with those who desire to walk with Him, regardless of the circumstances. Let's be determined to bring Him glory and honor, and love Him through ALL we do, say, and think. Let's be determined that for all our remaining days we will worship and live in His presence.

Steve,

I just wanted to send you a note letting you know I still read your devotionals daily and am grateful for you being faithful in using your gift to edify others.

Please be encouraged - your daily writings are a great blessing to those who read them! There is usually at least one line in every devotional that really "clicks" with me - where I say "that's God."

IHS

Tim