God’s Presence Is With Us
I am one of God’s “King’s Kids”! As such God’s presence is always with me. God told me that He would never leave me nor forsake me. (Hebrews 13:5) So, everywhere I go God’s presence is with me.
In John 17:22-23, Jesus says this more vividly:
“The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” (ESV)
God’s presence is not only in us and with us, we are the representation of God and His purposes wherever we go. John 15:26-27 Jesus told us:
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.” (ESV)
In John 13:20 Jesus said:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” (ESV)
Acts 10:33 tells us that we will even be sent forth to represent God in His presence:
“So I (Cornelius) sent for you (Peter) at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”
Paul charges Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:1-2:
“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”
We fulfill our ministry by being where God desires us to be and, as such, by bringing His presence into a situation so people can hear the gospel and believe on Jesus for salvation.
These words from the hymn, Be Thou My Vision, ring as true today as they did when Dallan Forgail pinned them in the 8th Century.
“Be Thou my wisdom and Thou my true word I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord Thou my great Father, I Thy true son Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one.”
So, no matter where I am, God’s presence is needed there – because I only go where God wants me to go and do and say what God wants me to do and say. Since I represent God wherever I am, then everywhere I am God’s presence is needed in that place. As a Christian I can’t get away from God’s presence – neither do I desire to do so! May I be faithful to make the most of every opportunity in which I find myself for God’s glory!
