Passion for the Presence of God

King David said, “One thing I have asked from the Lord, that will I seek after—for me to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life” (Ps. 27:4). He also stated, “As the deer pants after the water brooks, so my soul pants after You, O God” (Ps. 42:1). Like David, we also must have a passion for the presence of God.

Presence means nearness to God. We see in the Bible how Moses and the Israelites started in the same place with God, but Moses sought the presence of God whereby the Israelites sought the promise of God. The promise of God is His provision and protection. Moses said the Lord sent him to deliver the Israelites (Ex. 4:31). The Israelites bowed down and worshipped. Within moments, they grumbled when their workload doubled. Man, who is not in the presence of God, will judge too quickly. Again, the Israelites bowed down when they got what they wanted (Ex. 12:27) but soon began complaining again at the Red Sea. “It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness” (Ex. 14:12). Man, who is not in the presence of God, is a self-seeker. Man in the presence of God will forsake everything for nearness to God.

When God parted the Red Sea, they worshipped (Ex. 15:20). When they grumbled for food, Moses said, “God has heard your grumbling against Him.” Here we must understand; our grumbling is not against man, but God. When the Israelites came to the water, they called it Mara (because it was bitter). God told Moses, “Take the wood and put it in the water.” The bitter water became sweet (Ex. 15:22-24). The wood represents the cross of Jesus. When man is in God’s presence, He will make your bitter situation a better situation! This is why we need not discover anything about our lives; instead, we must uncover what God has already said about us! This is only possible in the presence of God.

Learn more at jesuslivetv.com.

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