God did not designed life to be lived alone. When God put man in the Garden of Eden, He was there. Gen 3:8 says He walks in the Garden. Man sins and hides from Him.
• Genesis described man’s life as a WALK with God – the Bible says Enoch walked with God, Noah walked with God, and Abraham walked with God. God was present in their lives.
• It was sin that separated us from Him and destroyed that relationship. We’ve lost that SENSE of His presence because of sin.
• But by the grace of God, through Jesus Christ, we are now restored in this experience.
God walks with us today. He is present with us always.
• This is the truth King David wrote about in Psalm 139. “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (Ps 139:7)
• The answer is I can’t! You cannot escape from God’s presence. You can’t hide from Him.
• If He is omnipresent, then there is no place in the universe (and therefore on this earth) where God isn’t.
No matter where you go this week, God is going to be there.
• As Christians, the Lord dwells in us. We carry with us His presence!
• This truth ought to be one of the greatest comfort and encouragement to us, but sadly it is not always so. We don’t always have that sense.
• There are times we feel lonely and sad; lost and abandoned. His presence remains a dormant theory. We fail to experience the joy and hope and security of His presence.
If God is around and you cannot experience Him, then this truth is of no use to you. It is useless. It does not make a difference.
• But the truth is, God is always with you and you can experience and enjoy His presence.
• We can really say, as the Hymn says, “I serve a risen Saviour; He’s in the world today.
I know that He is living, whatever men may say. I see His hand of mercy; I hear His voice of cheer; and just the time I need Him, He’s always near.”
Chorus: He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way…”
How do I sense His presence in my life and be blessed by it? A few things:
1. REMEMBER… Think His Presence
We feel helpless and lonely because we are not THINKING about Him; we’re not giving Him a thought.
• We have forgotten about Him in the midst of our trouble or pain; hardship and calamity drowns out the sound of His voice.
• We turn inward and focus on our self – we feel sorry for ourselves.
Deut 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will NEVER leave you nor forsake you.”
• What you see, God tells Joshua - the difficulties, obstacles, and enemies before you – can cause you cause you to be afraid and terrified, and forget what I’ve said.
• The situation I face in life can so overwhelm me that I remember nothing of what I know about God. I can become so demoralized that nothing that God has said makes sense.
• The Lord says, “Do not be afraid or terrified…” You need to calm down and THINK. You need to quiet down (shut off all noises) and listen to the voice of God.
• The Lord says in Psalm 46:10 - “be still and know that I am God.”
God is always with me, I need to THINK ABOUT that.
• Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
• Circle the 3 things God promises to do: strengthen you, help you out, and uphold you.
• In order words, if you KNOW that God is with you and not allow FEAR to grip your heart, you will experience MY STRENGTH, MY HELP, MY SUPPORT, the Lord says.
David says “Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.” (Psa 27:10)
• God will never walk out on you; in fact, He was the One who took the first step, to walk into your life (through Christ). Why will He leave?
• And He wants to WALK WITH YOU. That’s God’s plan right from Genesis.
• You may be alone but you can never be lonely. You don’t have to face anything alone.
2. RECOGNISE… Trust His Presence
We need to BELIEVE it. We know it, but we don’t really believe it.
• Moses sent 12 spies went to spy on the land of Canaan (Num 12). They saw the same land, the same people, the same city, the same harvest… but they ended up with opposing conclusion.
• One group says, “Big problem, we cannot do this; we are surely die if we go in.” They saw their enemies were powerful and huge; their cities were fortified and large.
• The second group says, no problem, “we can certainly do it” (Num 13:30), with God on our side, we will succeed.
They both had the Word of God, they both know what God has said and promised.
• But only 2 of the 12 spies – Caleb and Joshua – really believed God.
• It is one thing to KNOW, it is quite another to BELIEVE. You can know and not believe. We are called to know and believe.
Do you remember the story of Jesus sleeping through a raging storm, in the boat at the Sea of Galilee, with His disciples?
• Imagine the scene – the sight of water filling up the boat, the taste of salt, the sound of roaring wind, the feel of cold water washing over you, and the sense of panic rising within you. They were gripped by fear. How could you not scream at the sleeping Jesus!
• Yet Jesus rebukes the disciples: "Where is your faith?" (Luke 8:25)
In a crisis, it is faith that makes all the difference.
• Bro/sis, it will not be the knowledge of the Word that makes all the difference, it will be your FAITH. In times of crisis, it will be your faith in God that will see you through.
• Do not define God’s presence through the lens of your experience. That is, if I am going through a hard time, God is not around. If everything is fine, then God is with us.
This is a mistake. God is present, regardless of your circumstances. He is unchanging, despite the ever-changing conditions we find ourselves in.
• Although God promised to give Israel the land of Canaan, it was inherited through many obstacles and hardships. They had to literally fight their way in.
• Moses had to content with natural obstacle (Red Sea), physical constraints (no food and water), or social unrest (an angry crowd), and political turmoil (people questioned his leadership)…
• But all of these problems do not change the fact - God is still with Moses.
• You can be right smack in the centre of God’s will and yet faces trouble.
• The Lord’s promise to Moses is: “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exo 33:14).
God’s gift of His presence has nothing to do with earthly circumstances.
• Faith trusts that God’s purposes will be fulfilled, in spite of threats, dangers, detours, and even destruction.
• Divine power is revealed, not in preventing trouble, but in getting us through it in a way that deepens our understanding of God.
• After Jesus calmed the wind and the waves, the disciples were filled with great awe, and said, ’Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’" (Mark 4:41)
• They’ve got to see a side of Jesus they had never seen before.
Outside most shops and some homes today, you’ll see a small box that says, “Protected by…” – CISCO, ADT, AETOS… It’s a security system, a burglar alarm security system.
• When you see this box, you have a sense of security. When potential intruders see this box, they are kept away.
• You have, over your life, this sign – “Protected by God and Son, Inc.” We are guaranteed this eternal security, He is forever with us. When Satan sees this, he is kept at bay.
3. REALIZE… Tune In to His Presence
Where is God when it hurts? Where He has always been - right there with you. He walks with you, He weeps with you. He suffers with you.
• God came to be with us as one of us, in the Person of Jesus, our Saviour. That is the God we know.
David says in Psalm 16:8 “I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
• It is a conscious decision, a mental choice. He knows it; he believes it and he choose to focus on Him.
• His presence is most felt when you are able to hear His voice, when you engage Him.
There are radio and television waves going through the air all the time. You can’t see them but they are there.
• With the right gadget, you can tune in to these waves and hear the radio or see the broadcasts. But you’ve got to tune in.
• There has never been a moment in your life when God is not with you. You just have to tune in to Him.
You tune in to Him when you set aside time to engage Him – when you worship Him and talk to Him.
Suppose you went to a small café for a cup of coffee and you were the only one. You sat there at the table all alone.
• A few minutes later a man came and sat at the same table. And then another, and finally a man came in and he too sat at the same table.
• You are no longer alone. You are in the presence of 3 other people.
• But it is a very odd situation; everyone was quiet. You do not know where to look.
• And then someone broke the ice and talked about the hot weather, and then the TV programme last night, and the news about the coming presidential election.
• The other chipped in, and then the next person spoke, and soon the conversation took off. All 4 of you had a great chat and a good meal.
The presence of these people is best felt when you’re engaged in a conversation with them. There is an interaction going on.
• The best way to experience God’s presence is when there is a connection made – in worship or in prayer. You experience His presence in worship and prayer.
• You know He is there. You believe He is there. You know He heard you. There is a manifest presence of the Lord.
One of the quickest ways to tune into God’s presence is to praise Him.
• Psalm 22:3 says God is enthroned upon the praises of His people. When we worship, we enter into His presence.
• When you are feeling down and lonely, start praising God. Worship Him anytime and anywhere.
Set aside time and place for this. More so if you are going through a crisis.
• You need to make time for Him. A quiet time with God is a de-stressor.
• God says I will never leave you. I will strengthen you; I will help you and uphold you. My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.
You cannot always control what happens to you, but you can control your choices.
• You can choose to develop a friendship with God where you have an ongoing conversation with Him all the time.
• Choose to WALK WITH GOD - the phrase the Bible uses in Genesis.
• When a crisis happens, you’re not afraid. You will KNOW, BELIEVE and EXPERIENCE His presence. If He is a living God, then this is possible.
So have you lost SENSE of His presence? Do you really desire His presence?
When was the last time you had a truly wonderful, heart-to-heart talk with God?
Prayer: Tell God earnestly that you want to get to know Him. If you haven’t already done so, invite His Son, Jesus Christ into your life. You want to experience His love and His presence in your life. No mater where you find yourself this next week – say, “Lord, I know you are here with me. Help me on this.” He will. He said so.
Thank You for your promise to never abandon me. Help me spend time with You daily, to simply think about Your goodness, to trust in Your Word, and ask for Your help. Walk us through us coming week, as You had in the past. Help us sense Your presence in fresh new ways. Thank you, Lord, for being with us. In Jesus’ Name, we pray, AMEN.
