How To Live In The Presence Of God

Psalm 139 vs 1-6

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

In today's world, there is a sense of fear and confusion in people's hearts and minds; they can sense something big is about to happen, and it is overwhelming their sense of safety and protection. In their minds, they still want to cling to the illusion that everything is going to be okay, as long as this or that law is passed, as long as they have the police and the military, as long as they have guns, alarm systems, and guard gods. After all, in America, we have never suffered many great losses, and if someone does suffer loss there are programs in place to help them. However, this big crisis that is on the horizon will not be solved by laws, politics, or security systems.

In the past, when people had problems, they would seek the guidance of God, ask for help from their family and friends, and take their next steps with a sense of humility and confidence with The God of Grace. That was how our families survived and thrived in tough situations. We must remember to continue in the Grace of God, for without His loving presence in our lives, we cannot hope to survive the coming crisis.

Psalm 139 vs 7-12

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

We have lost in society that sense of reverence and respect for the Word of God; we are not allowed to acknowledge His presence in the public arena. Every reference to God has been systematically erased from public view with the notion that all of the world's problems stems from the belief in God. Those who wish to make The God of Heaven vanish into a puff of smoke, believe that by erasing the thought of God from our general consciousness, that the true vision of humanity will come forth, and that peace and prosperity will flourish and cover the earth; all of man's problems will disappear.

Psalm 139 vs 13-18

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you.

I just read recently in the news, that they have discovered a way to 'make a baby without an embryo'; they have made baby mice 'by tricking the sperm into considering that the eggs they were fertilizing were ‘real’ eggs.' So many 'wonderful' discoveries have been made in the last twenty years; cloning, genetic manipulation, stem cell research, and so on. We have taken away the wonder and beauty of life and creation. It is now only a strange but efficient biological function that must be studied and controlled. It is only a matter of time before they start trying to mass produce people in the lab without the benefit of a mother or a father (and they will only be able to so if the Lord permits them to!)

http://www.curejoy.com/content/fake-embryos-can-now-make-babies-without-womans-help

Psalm 139 vs 19-24

If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

As believers, we live and work in an environment of greed, oppression, selfishness, and skepticism. No one wants to live by any type of standards; we now live in an environment of 'anything goes'. Many want to be free to say and do anything that their minds can conceive, even at the expense of someone else's safety, security, and peace of mind. Welcome, to the new 'normal'. When we try to live by God's standards, we are seen as backwards, stupid, and prejudiced. It is these standards that they feel are judging them, but we did not create these standards; it is the Lord that created this universe, and this world, and He set those standards into its very existence.

God has placed certain standards into our physical, psychological, and spiritual makeups, and if we abide by those standards, we can thrive in this environment. But, if we ignore, or rebel against those standards, we will not survive in this environment. We have come to a critical stage of development, in which the knowledge that we have acquired can propel us to new heights, or cause us to self destruct. Do you get a sense yet that these are the last days and without the benefit of a compassionate and graceful God we cannot hope survive the coming age?

Let us continue to pursue the Presence of God, by thought, by faith, with trust and obedience in your heart. Treasure His presence, worship and praise Him, give serious thought to His Word, and meditate on it daily. When you walk out the door, to go to work, to do your chores, keep Psalm 91 in your mind and recite it to yourself often. By practicing the presence of God, we are connecting ourselves to the One who can guide us and protect us from the evil one, and his influence in this world. We cannot be guided by the Lord if we continue to believe that the world's problems will be solved by diplomacy, political correctness, or military might.

It has now come to the place where we cannot simply wait for things to get better, because if you are a bible reader, you know that things are going to get worse before they get better. We need to be rooted and grounded in God's Word and learn how to be in His presence every day. Trusting in His word and His Providence is the first step, because if we don't believe in His word, or in the power of God, we cannot walk around in this world with the confidence of His grace and mercy. Taking time every day to pray and worship, ushers in His presence. Seeking His guidance in your everyday decisions, asking for His will in your life brings peace and serenity when the rest of the world is feeling anxious, angry, or fearful of the future.

As children of God, we don't have to be anxious or fearful of the future, because everything that is going on is also nothing that Lord can't handle. He knew what would take place, and He knows how to get the best out of this situation; His will is to redeem His sons and daughters, those who decide to accept His gift of salvation and become citizens of the kingdom of God, and to show those who will refuse to live by his standards, that His standards are the best, and only way to live in peace, love, and harmony.

So, our only work in the world is to keep Him close to our hearts, and show the world the benefits of becoming a Christian, to be examples of love and faithfulness, wisdom and courage; it is never easy being a Christian and living by standards that everyone else wants to throw away in the trash. Seeking the best out of ourselves and the situations we find ourselves in through the love and providence of Christ is the best that we can hope for, and the best that the world will ever see of His kingdom.

So, I pray that you will pray for wisdom and guidance, and the power to love others with the love of Christ, and give Him your heart and mind, so that you will show the world how much Jesus Christ means to you. May the Lord keep you and Bless you this day....Amen