Growing Up

I Samuel 2:21 says And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.

Hannah was a barren woman, and she asked God for a son, and God granted her desire. Out of that answer to prayer, out of that destitute cry for a son, Hannah raised her son to know the presence of the Lord.

He must have known that he was an answer to his mother’s prayer.  Perhaps she told him this, often.  I’m sure she spoke of God’s goodness to her in earshot of her son, who realized the power of a loving God who visited his people.

Samuel, as we read later, was a little boy who heard God’s voice speak to him and call him to serve him.  And it’s because he learned to recognize the presence of the Lord, even over the voices of his family.

Isn’t that what we want for our kids?  We want them to know that God’s presence has visited us and blessed us, and we must tell them about it.  We must vocalize his blessings to our kids and let them hear of his goodness and glory in our lives.

It’s then and only then that our kids will grow up in his presence and hear his voice at an early age, and walk with Him.

In Everything

Deuteronomy 12 says, There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.

In these verses, God is lining out the way the people are to live as they give and and worship together. 

What an awesome picture this verse describes.  Can you see it?

You and your family are in the presence of the Lord (remember the presence that leads you and guides you and comforts you?) and you’re eating together.  You’re rejoicing together over all of God’s blessings in your lives. It’s a great time of celebration!

I’m thinking that on at least one day a year we do this – Thanksgiving – if we’re lucky.  We have family near and we gather around a huge table of food and we give thanks, at least for a moment.

But this verse implies that we can celebrate his presence and goodness in our lives at all times, every time we’re together!

As the holiday season approaches and tensions run high, emotions rise and fall, let’s purpose to enjoy his presence  among each other and celebrate the good things he’s blessed us with to enjoy – daily – moment by moment – until it’s a part of our everyday living.

Glorious Presence

Remember yesterday’s devo?  Moses desired God’s presence.  Today, Moses asks for something else.

Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”

And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”

Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock.  When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.  Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”

Glory is God’s magnificence, which we cannot possibly comprehend in our mortal bodies.  He is holy and we are not.  And his holiness will consume us if we look upon his face.

But…thanks be to Jesus (our rock)…in whom we can see God’s goodness pass before us, have his glory pass near us, and be held and covered from being consumed…until the day we see him face to face.

God promises that there is a place near him where we can stand on a rock where is glory is present.

I love this story.  Man reaches out to know God, experience his presence, and see his glory.  God responds in the most loving of ways and assures man that he will indeed go before him and lead him and be with him, and that he will cover him and protect him and amaze him with his glory.

What more could a man want?

With You

Look at this dialogue between Moses and God, and be amazed.

"If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people."

The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here."

We see a man desiring to know God’s ways, to find his favor, and to lead his people.

We see the Lord offering this man his Presence and his Rest.

We see the man acknowledging that without the Presence there is no movement forward.

I love this!

When we ask God to teach us and when we have a teachable heart, this pleases him, and his Presence rests upon us.  It’s palpable, it’s real, it’s life-giving, it’s comforting, and it’s directional.

We can go forward into unknown territory, into lands full of giants, into desolate places, and over mountains, when the Presence is with us.

In fact, we should desire to only go forward when He is with us, and to not move if he is not.

Ask him to teach you, ask God to be with you, and he will.

That’s an incredible privilege we have – to ask the almighty God to be our traveling companion – and to hear him say yes.

In the Presence

I’m thinking lately of how much we  need His presence with us at all times.  For it’s in his presence that we experience peace, joy, and strength.  So let’s see what the word says about his presence, together.  I’m glad you’re joining me!

The first mention of God’s presence that I see is in Exodus 18,

Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.”  Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God

Remember Moses led the Children of Israel out of slavery, through the wilderness, where God delivered them, provided for them, and saved them over and over again.  Moses’ father-in-law heard about this great exploit.  He was so delighted with what he had heard that he confessed his faith in the Lord.

He brought offering and sacrifices to God and it says they all ate a meal together, as a family, in the “presence of God.”

What this story tells me is that when we tell of what God has done in our lives and others hear it, they too will be moved to believe.  

And where there is faith, there is the presence of God.

Isn’t that awesome?

Why He Came

And I John 1 sums up our many week study on understanding:

We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

The only understanding worth any value in this life – eternal value and life-giving value – is the understanding of Jesus and who he is – the son of God who loves us and gave himself up for us.

The next phase of understanding is to realize that we are in him because he has forgiven us and invited us to be a part of his kingdom and his inheritance and his abundance in this life, and in the life to come.

The last phase of understanding is to stand firmly on the fact that he is the one and only true God and that he has lavished richly upon us his grace, mercy and love so that we can truly know who he is, in the power and wisdom that he freely gives.

That kind of understand, my friend, will produce a fulfilling life – the life we’re all searching to have but never find. 

Do you understand?

If you don’t know Jesus and don’t comprehend his great love, it’s a simple request to make and he will hear you – and grant you understanding – so that you can receive.

Who Is?

James 3 asks a question:

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

We attend seminars, we listen to great orators, and tune into awesome speeches, all to hear wisdom and eloquent words from men and women who have something to say about our country, the future, or even God’s word.  Those things are good.

But what is better is to gain wisdom and understanding by following Jesus.

And that becomes evident in our lives through our deeds “done in humility” (that means without fanfare and “look at me”) and these actions come from wisdom.

We’ve got one more day’s devotion on understanding, and I’m wondering if we’re understanding what it is we’re supposed to understand?

Are you getting it?  Or are you still seeking it in all of your striving to understand the things that puzzle you in life?

I find that I have to daily make a choice to lay aside my searching and inquisitive mind that seeks to figure out all things so that I can manipulate them for my good.  I have to daily train my mind to focus on giving thanks in all things and experiencing that transcendent peace.

I want to be wise and understanding, so that others may see and glorify not me- but HIM.