Presence

His Presence

If you love somebody, what you long for more than anything else is that person’s presence with you. Photos are a comfort. Telephone calls, emails, and texts are nice. Letters are good. Skype and FaceTime are great ways to communicate. Yet nothing can compare to actually spending time with them in person.

What Adam and Eve lost in the Garden of Eden when they sinned was the presence of God. Even more than possessing the law, the distinguishing feature of Israel was God’s presence with them. The temple was not primarily a place of sacrifice but a place of God’s presence. The exile was such a disaster for the people of God because they were away from God’s presence.

God promised to be in the midst of his people again. This promise was fulfilled with the coming of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. He promises to be with you.

‘The Lord Almighty is with us’

Psalm 46:1-11

The presence of God in the Old Testament was associated with Jerusalem – the city of God. ‘God lives here’ (v.5, MSG). In particular, it was associated with the temple – ‘the holy place where the Most High dwells’ (v.4b); ‘God is within her’ (v.5a); ‘The Lord Almighty is with us’ (v.7,11).

When Jesus was on earth, he declared that his body was the temple where God was present (see John 2:19–22). On the day of Pentecost, God’s presence came to dwell with his people through the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ. In the New Testament, God’s presence is not in a physical temple but with his people – ‘a holy temple’ (Ephesians 2:19–22).

In life, it seems there is always so much that needs to be done and it is tempting to want to be active and get on and do it. But the Lord encourages you to ‘Be still, and know that I am God’ (Psalm 46:10). If you take time to be still and to listen to him, you see in this psalm some of the blessings that come from knowing his presence with you.

Peace ‘God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear’ (v.1–2a). Joy ‘There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God’ (v.4a). Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit bringing ‘streams of living water’ (John 7:38). This river is now not in a physical city but in your heart. Security ‘God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day’ (Psalm 46:5). Protection ‘The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress’ (v.7,11). ‘God fights for us’ and ‘protects us’ (v.11, MSG).