In the Presence of God

It has become apparent that I am prone to forgetting at times that I am always in the presence of God. Whenever I think of God, I think yes I belong to God. But the frequency with which I recognise I am in the presence of God is something to be worked on. Our consistency and level of awareness of God throughout each day has implications.

Think about it, does not our behaviour reflect whether we are aware of the mighty presence of God? The times at which we are most prone to stray are the times at which we are failing to recognise God’s presence.

One who is not aware of the presence of God can be one who is puffed up and showy in the sense that he or she thinks there is something to boast about. This does not relate to people who have extroverted or ‘loud’ personalities necessarily, it is more about the person’s attitude and heart towards God. So how does showiness look in front of God? How does it look in front of the God who owns the universe and holds eternal power and life? Can anyone compare their big house, flashy car or ‘important’ job title to the wonder and glory of God?

Jesus was deeply concerned about Jewish Pharisees who puffed up and credited themselves in the presence of God. It just looked plain silly to say something along the lines of ‘hey God look at me’ as though one could be compared on equal footing with God. In Matthew 23.12-14 Jesus said ‘For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces…”’. Who could not be humbled in the presence of God? When one is humbled it is an act of submitting to the grace of God and enjoying his presence like a Father. Not only is it enjoyable, he exalts us to sit beside him on his throne! In Revelation 3.21 Jesus says “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne”. Basically being showy is just that, a show. The real masterpiece is evident through God’s grace to the human race.

So how does the Bible indicate one is aware they are in the presence of God? In Philippians 4.4-6 it says ‘Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything’. The world typically looks down upon the not so flashy human because it does not consider the presence of God. However we have reason to rejoice not on our own merit, but on the merit of Christ and his kindness to involve us in his kingdom. Once sin is done with and destroyed, the Spirit of God will no longer wrestle in man with his destructive desires, God’s work will be fully evident through his disciples.

To be a disciple of Christ is to be a co-heir with Christ and this surely outweighs the world’s idea of flashiness. In Romans 8.17 it says “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory”. To have but a few bricks (i.e. house) and shiny pieces of metal (i.e. ‘luxury’ car) compares quite poorly, to say the least, against one who has eternal inheritance from the creator of all. This is an outstanding act of which we can claim no credit. All thanks and praise goes to our Lord God.

To be consistently aware of the presence of God and the good things ahead in store for his disciples can help one avoid falling into the notion that the world’s idea of flashiness is something worth of aspiration. What is true and the real deal will be evident to all soon enough, worldly flashiness will soon pass away and everything that is held together by God will keep on keeping on.

So some questions for us all… Am I in the presence of God? When was the last time I did something and was aware of the presence of God? Do I compartmentalise God into certain parts of the day such as morning prayer and afternoon Bible reading and forget the rest of the day?

We may of course be humbled or ‘humiliated before others’ as a result of recognising the presence of God, but as a prelude to a beyond wondrous experience in the near future that gives us hope and motivation to persevere.