Experiencing God’s presence in our lives




Whybrew

Whybrew

“As people forgot God’s presence, they began to turn away from Him.” (Hosea 6:12)

My son’s topic in Sunday’s sermon was “The Omnipresence of God.” One might think that the fact that God is always present is obvious. Why do we need a sermon on that? By the time the sermon was over, I think we all realized that is necessary to always acknowledge God’s presence. Communion followed the sermon – a striking and relevant way to understand our need for the Holy Trinity.

The above-stated verse was a reference in one of the devotionals I read this morning. Good timing, Lord. When we abide in Jesus, we are constantly aware of God’s presence in our lives. And to be aware of His presence is the best way to retain God’s joy in our lives. Thank You, Lord.

I have frequently stated that my life word is “abide.” Last week a friend asked how and when this word became so important to me. I knew that it had come through several of the individual devotionals I have read through the years in “My Utmost for His Highest,” by Oswald Chambers.

The June 2 reading is an excellent example. Chambers used the words, abide or abiding, four times. In this message, he also gives an unfamiliar perspective of the abiding nature of the Holy Ghost. That word is “haunted.” “The whole of our life inside and out is to be absolutely haunted by the presence of God.”

In the June 7 devotional, Chambers gives a full definition of the word, abide as it pertains to our spiritual lives. “The disciple who abides in Jesus IS the WILL of God, and his free choices are (actually) God’s foreordained decrees. Mysterious? Logically contradictory and absurd? Yes, but a glorious truth to a saint.”

When we abide in Jesus and He abides in us through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are haunted by His presence in our lives. Because Chambers uses the name, Holy Ghost, the logic of using the word, haunted, becomes more apparent. However, this is a haunting so unlike those we have read or heard about in books or movies.

We who abide in Christ want to be haunted by God so that as we abide, we can be sure that the choices we make, the words we choose, and our actions are all motivated by the Holy Trinity. When we acknowledge God, we remember His presence. When we celebrate His presence in our lives, we will not be prone to “turn away from Him.”

As it turns out, my son’s sermon on the omnipresence of God was appropriate and necessary. Our earthly lives our enhanced physically and spiritually as we live in God’s presence. We do that In the best possible way when we abide in Jesus and are haunted by the Holy Spirit as He invades our minds and infiltrates our entire being. Mysterious? Indeed! But oh, what a blessing and joy it is!

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of the heavens and the earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2) I encourage you to read all of Psalm 121 to feel the assurance of God’s presence as we choose to abide in Him.

Dear Holy, Three in One, we acknowledge Your presence in our lives. We thank You that when we abide in You, Your Holy Spirit will guard and guide our ways. When we are haunted by Your presence, we can be assured that our thoughts and actions are in accordance with Your will. In Christ’s name. Amen.

Jerry is just an ordinary Jesus follower who is blessed to receive guidance from the Holy Spirit in writing these articles. He is also a retired high school counselor who has learned many lessons from his students and friends through the years. Jerry can be reached at jcwhybrew@hotmail.com.

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