“And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not from hence.”

Exodus 33:14-15. KJV

If there is one thing that Moses learned during his years of walking with the Lord, it was the necessity of having God’s presence.  God’s Presence is the unmistakable consciousness and awareness of God.  He is here.   He is in our midst.  He is with us!  That consciousness may be expressed and realized in a multitude of ways, but its reality is unmistakable!   It is undeniable. 

The Presence of God is beyond human words to describe.  It is the revelation of the Divine!   It is the consciousness of the Holy!  It is greater than all that we are and all that we know.  It brings awe and wonder!   It produces humility and joy!   It is the revelation of the “otherness” of God! Once we have experienced God’s Holy Presence, we are never the same again!   We are transformed.  We are changed.  And we forever long for a greater revelation of His Presence!   

When we are in God’s Presence, there is no fear.  There is no anxiety.  There is no burden. There is no consciousness of any need.  There is no insufficiency.   The cares of this world diminish to insignificance.  There is no desire for anything but Him!   There is the awareness that in His Presence,  we have everything!   

Moses understood that both he and the nation could not survive or even exist without God’s Presence.  What was true for Moses and the nation of Israel is also true for us!  We, the redeemed of God,  are completely dependent upon the Presence of God in our lives. 

The good news of the Gospel is that Christ has sent the Holy Spirit into our heart (our spirit, our inner man) to dwell. (Col.1:27).   We are blessed and privileged to be able to live each moment of each day with the consciousness of God’s indwelling Presence!   His Presence is revealed at various levels of intensity, but His Presence is there; quietly guiding us, speaking to us,  revealing truth to us and even correcting us when necessary.  His indwelling Presence is essential for living the life He intends for us to live!   (Rom.. 8:15).   Let us acknowledge and embrace His Presence that we might experience the fullness of His joy!  (Psalm 16:11).

Rev. James W. Black