“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

“So the children of Israel served Eglon  the king of Moab eighteen years. But when the children of Israel cried unto  the Lord, the Lord  raised them up a deliverer…” 

Judges 3: 14-15 KJV

The Lord is compassionate and merciful toward His people. But He is also a God who disciplines and corrects His people whenever they go astray (Heb. 12:6). God’s purpose in correction is to draw His people back to Himself;  for the Lord knows that the only place of safety in a dark and hostile world is with Him! 

Throughout the book of Judges, the examples of God’s chastening and correction are vividly illustrated.   It is important to note what moved the heart of God to deliver His people.   It only happened when His people became desperate enough to cry out to Him in humility, brokenness, and genuine repentance!    There is something about crying out to the Lord in desperation that touches His heart in a special way!     

This crying out was not simply the making of a lot of noise.  No. This crying out was born in the heart in response to the realization that their only hope was in God!    It came out of a Holy conviction of sin,  resulting in humility, brokenness, and repentance before God. Only then did they cry out to the Lord!  And only then did He answer!   

When the Lord saw the genuineness of their heart before Him, He was moved with compassion for them!    Only then did He deliver them from their oppression!   It is interesting to note that He could have delivered them at any time.  But in this case, He waited 18 years!   Why so long?   Because He was waiting for His people to become so desperate in their situation that they would cry out to Him in sincere humility, brokenness, and repentance.  Only then would the Lord bring about their deliverance.   In reality, the length of time they remained in their difficult circumstances depended on them, not God! 

Could it be that one of the reasons we have not yet seen revival in our community and nation is because  we have not yet become desperate enough to cry out to God in genuine humility, brokenness and repentance?   

Rev.. James W. Black