Tag Archives: God’s Presence

July 5

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2 Chronicles 29:3-31:1; Psalms 66&67

Hezekiah was determined to follow God. And many Jews were ready and eager to follow Hezekiah. They worked together to consecrate the temple and got it done in only sixteen days. They got rid of anything that had been used in the worship of false gods.

Then Hezekiah invited the nation to join him to celebrate the Passover. Jews came to Jerusalem from all over the land. In fact, so many people came with animals to be sacrificed that there weren’t enough consecrated priests to handle them all. So Hezekiah prayed that God would “pardon everyone who sets his heart on seeking God” even if they weren’t clean according to the law.

And God answered Hezekiah’s prayer.

Isn’t that exciting? Do you see yourself in this picture? God allowed the Old Testament Jews a glimpse at what was to come. We no longer need to go through a physical cleansing in order to go to God. We don’t need to be a better person for God to want to forgive us.

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Psalm 66:18-20 says, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!”

That’s all it takes. Repent of sin. Pray. Let God do the cleaning up after you give him your heart. Jesus is ready and willing to cover your sins with his precious blood and make you clean. 

Let’s set our hearts on seeking God today.

Gracious Father, thank you once again for your written Word. It’s so amazing to read it and see the beautiful pictures you paint of your Truth. Thank you that there are no rituals we need to perform in order for you to hear us. Thank you for prayer. Thank you for access to your Presence through Jesus. May we be seekers of You today and every day.

July 3

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2 Kings 17:3-23, 18:9-12, 17:24-41, 16:19-20, 18:1-2; Isaiah 5:1-30, 2 Chronicles 28:26-27, 29:1; 1 Chronicles 4:34-43

They couldn’t keep the Promised Land. The Jewish people had been given such an amazing gift but they squandered it away. God’s condition for living in Canaan was to worship him only. They didn’t do that and God removed his protection and blessing and the Jews lost the land.

God won’t make us worship him. He didn’t create strings on us that he could manipulate to make us do what he asks. He created us with the ability to choose and he wants us to choose him.

He’s very clear about the consequences that come from rejecting him. And the nation of Israel’s example here in the Old Testament shows us what happens when we try to live with one foot in the Truth and the other in the world.

Making it personal, I bet you can identify times of God’s blessings of peace and joy and equate them with your choice to follow him. And you can probably identify times of struggle when you tried to hold on to a sin and worship God, too. I have experienced both.

Our spiritual Promised Land of forgiveness, love, hope, faith, joy was given to us when we accepted Jesus as our Savior. It’s where God wants us to live. But living there requires a daily choice to obey him. It takes a conscious walk with the Lord, communication, a willingness to deny self and be the people God would have us be.

May you walk with God today and know the blessing that comes from living in the Promised Land.

June 18

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I Kings 22:36-40; 2 Kings 1:1; 2 Chronicles 19:1-11, 20:1-30; Psalms 46, 47, 48

Judah was in trouble. Word reached King Jehoshaphat that a vast army was coming to destroy them. The king knew he and his army were no match for the enemy.

Have you ever felt like that? Like the circumstances of life are such that you feel you can’t face them and win? Have you ever looked ahead and thought, it’s too much?

We can all learn from Jehoshaphat’s example. The first thing he did was to proclaim a fast. Not a quick-start to a diet fast, but a down on your knees, heartfelt, honest time of prayer instead of eating. A time of seeking God, earnestly pouring themselves out before God.

Then the people gathered together. Listen to some of what Jehoshaphat prayed that day:

For we have no power to face this vast army (insert whatever it is you are facing) that is attacking us. We don’t know what to do, BUT OUR EYES ARE ON YOU. (2 Chronicles 20:12)

The third thing they did was to set out for battle. Have faith in The Lord, Jehoshaphat says. Then he told them to praise God. Before the battle, during the battle. Praise God.

Verse 22 says, “As they began to sing and praise, The Lord set ambushes against the (enemy)”.

So here’s what I think is an example of how to face life’s troubles. 1) Seek God, fast if you can, 2) Pray. Admit your helplessness and lay it all at God’s feet, 3) Get up and get going. 4) Praise God before, during, and after. Praise God.

Be sure to read Psalm 46 today. Especially if you feel you are in a situation with no hope. I’m telling you there is hope. God is our refuge and strength in all circumstances. Seek him. Trust him. Praise him.

Father in heaven, thank you once again for your Word that speaks to hearts today. Some of us are going through things in this life that are overwhelming and we just don’t know what to do. May we keep our eyes on you. May we seek you, trust you, and praise you in all things. Remind us that you are our strength, our refuge. Be exalted, Lord.

May 23

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I Kings 7:13-51, 8:1-21; 2 Chronicles 4:1-5:14

God wants us to know him. He put it all out there in creation – the heavens declare the glory of God and the earth shows his handiwork. Throughout his written Word he has said and done countless things to reveal himself to us.

Even as we picture this beautiful temple we see a picture of God Himself. It’s hard for me to wrap my  mind around the Old Testament Presence of God because I am used to him being with me 24/7. He lived in a cloud, separate from humanity. In the Old Testament he is revealed as a Holy, untouchable God who had Solomon place the ark in the middle of a sea suspended on the backs of sculptured bulls. 17,500 gallons of water separated men from God.

But then God touched humanity in the person of Jesus. The Holy God stooped to our level so we could know him better, more intimately than ever before. At his death he broke down the walls between us and the Most Holy Place. And he lives within us in the form of the Holy Spirit.

But here’s something to think about. While we are living this life on earth there is still a separation between us and our Holy God. Jesus stands in the gap and the Holy Spirit prays for us. But we are still separated by a sea of time and space.

Revelation 21:1 tells us that when this life is over there will be no more sea! No pool of water, no time or space. We will see him face to face! We will know him as we are known by him. We will be able to touch him, feel his arms around us.

I am praising God for the promise of that day!

May 12

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Psalms 55, 58, 61, 62, 63; 2 Samuel 17:24-18:18; I Chronicles 2:17

I imagine most of us have felt what David felt when he wrote Psalm 55. His heart was in anguish. He was terrified and overwhelmed. And he said… Oh that I had the wings of a dove! I’d fly away and be at rest.

I don’t know about you, but there have been times in my life when a pair of wings would have come in handy. But I’ve discovered there are other methods of escape. I can lock myself away and turn off my phone. I can sit down and eat an entire box of Girl Scout cookies or Triscuits. Some people drink alcohol or do drugs to escape.

Here’s what David did. Verse 16 says… But I call to God and the Lord saves me. 

In the other psalms we read today David says things like “I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings”. “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him”. David calls God his rock, his fortress.

Then in Psalm 63 David expresses what I think God would have me hear today. David doesn’t plead with God to change the situation. He asks God for Himself. “My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you.” “On my bed I remember you.” “My soul clings to you”.

I am reminded that God wants to be all I need in every aspect of life. It’s easier to see him in the good things. But it’s even better to see him when I’m hurting. And you know what? He never fails.

Today is Mother’s Day and I will tell you it is not a happy day for me. I’ve never had the privilege of being a mom. My dear mother has been gone for 17 years. For reasons beyond my control I cannot have contact with my step-mother who was such a part of our lives for 12 years. And my sister is facing this day without her son. My heart is heavy and, to tell you the truth, I long for a pair of wings.

So I will run to my Rock and hide underneath his wings. I will cling to my Savior because he understands me. I will shed some tears because I am sad. But I will praise him because, even though I grieve the losses, I am blessed because of the very real privilege of having these dear ones in my life. 

God, hear my prayer today. Be my strength and my joy. Hold me while I grieve. May I allow you to be exactly what I need today. Thank you for wanting to.

May 6

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Psalms 138, 139, 145, 8; 2 Samuel 21:1-14, 9:1-13

If you read nothing else today, I hope you will take a minute to read Psalm 139 and let God tell you how much you are loved. He will remind you that he has been with you since the moment you were conceived. In fact, he knew you thousands of years ago and saw you then as clearly as he sees you today. 

He wants you to know that he is always with you… even in the darkest of days.

And here is what touched me this morning. Verse 17 says – How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast the sum of them.

God is letting me know that there isn’t a moment when he isn’t thinking about me. There isn’t a second of the day when I don’t have 100% of his attention. I don’t have to whisper a formal prayer to get him to turn his eyes toward me. And he never puts me on hold while he talks to someone else.

His thoughts concerning me outnumber the grains of sand. “You hem me in, behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” I love this picture.

I don’t understand how this can be but I believe it with all my heart. You and I are loved by the God of creation. You and I are always on his mind and he is always present with us both. We are hemmed in individually, hugged tightly individually.

So I hope you read Psalm 139. Let the “I” written there come from your heart. Let God hug you today. 

February 15

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Exodus 39, 40

The tabernacle finished, the glory of the Lord filled it. The Israelites lived next to the place where God dwelt. They could see the pillar of fire and the cloud and know God was right there with them. When he moved, they  moved. When he stayed, they stayed. They couldn’t step out of their tents without the visible reminder of God’s Presence.

What an awesome privilege they had. But we have something even better.

We don’t have to look at a pillar of fire. For believers, we just have to look within ourselves. Yes there are times I wish I had that tangible presence I could look at to remind myself He is here. But Jesus promised never to leave or forsake us.

Israel couldn’t say that. God was in the tabernacle and if a Jew decided to pick up and move away, God would not have gone with him. God’s Presence was visible, but God had confined Himself to the tabernacle.

Since the cross, God can call us to go across the country or around the world and he will go with us. His dwelling place in no longer man-made, as beautiful as that tabernacle must have been. God’s dwelling place is in the hearts of believers and visible through our obedience. He is as real today as he was in the days of Moses.

You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart!

January 16

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Job 38-39

“Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm.” The thing about reading words is that you can’t hear tone of voice. Was God angry? Was He impatient? Was there kindness and concern in His tone? When I started to read these chapters today I was reading them as though God was angry. After all, he spoke out of the storm. But half way through chapter 38 it occurred to me that maybe God was speaking to Job like a concerned Father who pulls his son up on his lap to explain things to him. So I went back and pictured that scene as I read.

I think God might get our attention with the storm, but I think He knows we do our best listening and learning when the storm is over and we can think. Job my son, God says, I’m going to explain to you who I am. You’ve survived a storm. Now listen carefully, son. You have a lot to learn.

As I was reading and thinking about Job sitting on God’s lap, leaning against God’s chest with God’s arms wrapped around him, and with God speaking lovingly in his ear I found myself a little jealous. Who wouldn’t want that for themselves? What about the answers to my questions? But I am reminded that my answers have been lovingly compiled and preserved in the pages of the Bible. God’s Word became flesh. And until I can physically see Him I can spiritually climb onto His lap through the pages of His book.

Am I being treated unfairly? Read about Joseph, Jesus, Paul. Am I grieving over the loss of a loved one? Read about Job, Jesus, Mary and Martha. Does God care about me personally? Read Paul’s letters, get to know Jesus through the gospels.

The accounts of real people in a real world are preserved in these pages and are there to guide and encourage us. The very thoughts of the Creator were transfered to paper and pencil by godly men who allowed God to speak through them. If I want to know God I need only to read what He inspired them to write about Himself.

So I’ll continue to climb up onto His lap each day as I read His Word. Sometimes I’ll be convicted. Sometimes I’ll be chastised. Sometimes I will feel complete joy. But always those arms will tighten around me as I draw closer to Him, as I learn more and more about Him and about myself, and as I allow Him to be the Father He longs to be to me.

January 13

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Job 30-32

Job is still trying to make sense of what has happened. He examines his life closely and still feels he has lived a righteous life. I didn’t take time to count the “if”‘s in these verses but there are many. Job says, in the condensed version… if I was unfair, stingy, judgmental, if I was unfaithful to my wife or put my trust in gold I would have disobeyed God and could understand my suffering.

But Job stands firm in his belief that he did his best to be a godly man. And he was.

God is telling us through Job’s story that health and wealth are not connected to obedience. There are no guarantees that if you live a good life only good things will happen to you. If that were so people would go to God for the wrong reason… for what’s in it for them instead of going to God because of who He is.

So what is the incentive for godly living if I can’t be assured life will be easy? And what’s to prevent me from enjoying the lusts of the world if it rains on both good and bad people anyway?

I can say first hand that the benefits of godly living include a clear conscience, a blessed assurance, peace, hope, satisfaction, strength, and the knowledge that I am loved and forgiven. You just can’t buy those things no matter how wealthy you are.

God, thank you for blessing us with your Presence, more precious than gold. And thank you that, whether good times or bad, you are right there. Help us to realize everything that happens in this lifetime happens to draw us to you and to show you to a lost world who needs you. May you find us faithful because we love you.

January 11

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Job 22-26

Job is very confident in God. He doesn’t understand God and questions why these things are happening to him. He longs to speak to God face to face to present his case but realizes that is not possible.

Then he says…But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.

That’s what God wanted Job to learn about himself. God doesn’t “test” us to learn something about us he doesn’t know. He knows everything about me including the number of hairs on my head. God allows things to happen in our lives so we can test ourselves.

2012 taught me that yes, I DO believe God is able to get us through the hard times. Yes, my faith in God doesn’t depend on easy living. Yes, God works through the hardest of times and reveals his great love. It taught me that God is trustworthy, loving, and does all things well. It taught me that it’s ok to question God but in the end, I can lay it all at his feet and rest in his care.

Job trusted God so much that, even  in the midst of suffering, he knew he would be ok in the end. Better than ok. He would be like gold.

Thank you,God for teaching me about you… and about me. Help me to learn the lessons you have for me today. Thank you for knowing the way I take and for the assurance that you are with me every step.