God's Presence

Do you think God expects you to be a superman or superwoman? Here’s some good news. God doesn’t expect us to keep going and going and going without rest. God doesn’t expect us to be like an energizer bunny. He knows that we will become depleted and that we need restoration.

Psalm 23:3 says, “He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Sure, Red Bull and other caffeinated drinks may give a temporary kick or burst of energy. But, it’s the daily refreshment in God’s presence that provides ongoing restoration to our souls. When your battery is running low, find your Bible. You’ll experience the restoration for which you long in God’s presence.

Lord, I praise You, the RESTORER of my soul.

Would you like an organized way to record what God is speaking to you as you spend time in His presence? Grab a copy of the Prayers of My Heart prayer journal to write down what God places on your heart.

¹ “Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update (Chicago: Moody Press, 2008).

Do you ever have a dreary day when life doesn’t seem so grand? When that happens remember that the King of Glory lives in you. Consider Psalm 24:7-10 with that in mind.

“Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lifted up, O ancient doors, That the King of Glory may come in! Who is the King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates, And lift them up, O ancient doors, That the King of Glory may come in! Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of Glory.”

Psalm 24 points us to Christ, the King of Glory, taking His throne. Glory in this Psalm means “majesty, splendor.”

What is amazing and should redirect our thinking if we are having a dreary day is to remember that the Spirit of the King of Glory is in believers. We are to continually acknowledge His presence and open our hearts for His glory to fill us (Ephesians 5:18).

KING OF GLORY, majestic splendor, I lift my hands and heart asking You to cleanse me and fill me with Your glory. Help others see Your presence in my life and be drawn to You. 

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God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM;’ and He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ …This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations'” (Exodus 3:14-15b).

A person’s name represents the person. If you say “Billy Graham,” not only is a visual of the man formed in your mind, but also what Billy Graham represents. If you say the name, “Hitler,” another visual pops into the mind, along with his character.  

When Moses asked God what His name is, God states that His name is, “I AM;” meaning “I am the One who is.” His name, “I AM,” emphasizes “God’s dynamic and active self-existence.” ¹ He is not only the God who was. He is not only the God who will be in our future. He is the God who is presently active, dynamic, and self-existent today.  How aware are we of His active, dynamic presence in our life?

Lord, I praise you, the great I AM!

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¹ Charles Ryrie, Expanded Ryrie Study Bible Expanded Edition, New American Standard Bible, pg 94.

Have you ever wondered if there was some place you could go that would be away from God? Perhaps you felt shame over something you did and wanted to hide. Or, you may have just wondered if it was a possibility to get away from God. Perhaps you feared your actions had driven God away. 

I learned the answer to those questions when I was in high school while doing my daily Bible reading. I came to Psalm 139:7-10 which assures us that there is nowhere we can go from God’s presence. The words were so beautiful, I picked up my guitar and wrote music to accompany the words. Meditate on them as you read Psalm 139:7-10.  

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me.”  

The psalmist’s words are beautiful, but they are more than that. They are true. 

Jesus affirmed His continual presence with us in Matthew 28:20, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  

Which of the verses in Psalm 139:7-10 touch your heart? What does it mean to you that God is everywhere and His hand will lead you? 

Lord, I praise You that You are EVERYWHERE. Thank You that I am never apart from Your presence. I love You.

The Lord is always present and wants us to talk to Him through prayer. Learn to pray more purposefully through Debbie’s book, “Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion.”

Has a child ever asked you where God is? If so, and you were at a loss for words, consider pointing them to Psalm 113:4-5. 

“The LORD is high above the nations; His glory is above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, who is enthroned on high?” 

Yes, God’s throne is in heaven, high above the nations and His glory is above the heavens as Psalm 113 tells us. 

How can His glory be above the heavens? Doesn’t He dwell in heaven? Yes, but remember that there are three heavens. 

The first heaven is the earth’s atmosphere and the sky that we see. The second heaven is outer space, where the stars and planets are. The third heaven, where the LORD is enthroned, is beyond our vision. The apostle Paul referred to the third heaven in 2 Corinthians 12:2-3, saying he was caught up to the third heaven where he heard inexpressible words in Paradise and had “surpassing greatness of the revelations.” 

God is enthroned on high, yet because He is omnipresent, He is gloriously present everywhere. 

Lord, You are gloriously ENTHRONED ON HIGH, yet present with me. I can’t wait to worship You in Paradise.

Do you know someone else who needs encouragement today? Scroll down and click on “Forward to a Friend” to share this blog post. 

It will be here before you know it. Thanksgiving will be upon us. Is your heart filled with thanksgiving? Or do you feel like a deflated balloon, that many things for which you’d hoped have fallen flat? No one will argue that life is hard. It is. Some time ago someone said to me, “The only good I have is because I’m a Christian.” What did they mean? They were saying that Christ is the “goodness” in their life. He is, in fact, what makes us good.

Hebrews 7:26 uses the word “undefiled” to describe Christ because He is more than good. Jesus is “holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.” In other words, Christ is more than a good prophet. He is the high priest of heaven who saves us not because of who we are, but because of who He is.

No matter the circumstances you are facing today, your good Savior is facing them with you. This day will pass. Christ’s goodness and presence with you will never pass. For that, you can be thankful. 

Lord Jesus, holy, UNDEFILED Savior, we love and praise You, the goodness in our life, our purity and salvation. We are grateful for and love You.

First Thessalonians 5:17-18 instructs us to pray without ceasing and to give thanks in all things. Would you like some resources to help you with these commands? Check out Debbie’s book, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion HERE. Another great resource is the Prayers of My Heart prayer journal, which can be used to cultivate a deeper prayer life and record praise and thanksgiving to God. Purchase your copy HERE.