It is with delight and great joy I welcome you to the year of DWELLING IN HIS PRESENCE! May the Lord give you the ability, patience, the resilience and capacity to dwell in his presence this year and enjoy all the encompassing benefits in Jesus name.
The word of the Lord says: 'The Lord replied," My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth" Exodus 33:14-16.
I can say with all certainty that This will be your best year- if you will obey the word of the Lord and dwell in His presence.
Though I gave many advantages of dwelling in his presence, in this article, one that stands out for me is John 14:13-14 13.“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” John 14:13-14. If you live well with a rich father, he surely will meet your needs. Our God is a good God. If you will dwell in his presence this year, you will sing a new, victorious, and glorious song all the days of this year. Check it out yourself; more of your adversity comes when you walk away from God’s presence. The presence of God does not mean absence of challenges, but it guarantees God’s prompt attention in the time of need (Mark 4:37-39). Do all you can this year and allow the presence of God to go with you.
What Does It Mean To Dwell?
The word dwell literarily means: live in or at a specified place, synonyms include, abide remain, reside, be settled, be housed, lodge, and stay. So, you are encouraged to dwell, live where God lives. Stay where God stays and communicate with God this year more than you did in previous years. In the biblical sense, The Hebrew word used for “dwell” is yashab, and it means “to dwell, to sit down, to remain.” In our frantic lives, sitting still is considered unproductive. But in the spiritual life of a Christian, sitting with God in communal fellowship is a treasure nothing on this earth can match. I remember about two decades ago when I first went to London, England and one of my cousins took me to one of the recreational parks. I said what are we to do here she said ‘we just sit down’. I said –sit down and just do nothing? She said “yes”. It was totally strange to me. We saw many people, some sitting down, some walking their dogs. Where I come from you must be busy doing something otherwise you are considered idle.
David said “In peace will I both lay me down and sleep, for Thou Jehovah alone makes me dwell in safety “(Ps. 4:8) To make to dwell in safety signifies a state of peace. Jeremiah said: ‘O thou that dwellest upon many waters, great in treasures, thine end is come, the measure of thy gain” (Jer. 51:13)"Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."(Psalm 23;6) denotes being and living in the good of the love of God.
What Does Presence Mean?
The state or fact of existing, occurring, or being present in a place or thing.
What Does Dwelling In His Presence Mean? If dwell means stay and live, and presence means being present in a place , it seems it is more us less tautology(the saying of the same thing twice in different words) But in our spiritual understanding it is not just saying the same thing in different ways it is emphasizing the necessity of doing what is necessary- Remaining with God.
Technically and biblically every one lives in God’s presence, because God is omnipresence, he is everywhere, meaning He is present at all times and in all places, whether you believe in God or not does not change that fact, every one breaths air. The Psalmist says: Where shall I go from thy spirit? or where shall I flee from thy presence? Psalm 139:7. Therefore dwelling in His presence is making a conscious effort to live with God. To live with the understanding that God watches over you. God is interested in your affairs and you deliberately build a solid relationship with him, to obey him and live with him. You are born again and do what will make God happy and pleased with you. Today, God's Spirit lives within those who believe in Him (John 14:23). Living in God’s presence is captured by “ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Rom 8:14
Let us briefly examine a few Scriptures that encourage us to dwell in God’s presence.
1. "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 9Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place ". . .Psalm 91:1, 9
2. "One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple. 5For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock." Psalm 27:4-5
3. "You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever." Psalm 16:11.
What Are the Advantages of Dwelling in God’s Presence?
1. Power: When the Lord is our dwelling place in the midst of everyday life, we can tap into His “divine power,” which gives us everything we need for "life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3).
2. Safety "Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge" Your safety is guarantee.
3. Guidance. You can’t go wrong- Ex 33;14. He will guide and direct you.
4. Success and positive results. I will give you rest Ex 33:14; Joshua 1:8. You shall succeed.
5. Every good thing imaginable or Multiple Gifts ‘I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” Psalm 16:2 ; Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows James 1;17 . “John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.” John 3:27
6. Deliverance: "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1.Yiou cannot loose a battle if you are on the Lord’s side.
7. Uncommon Joy or Joy unspeakable. “I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.” Psalm 122:1 Have you noticed that It does not matter how depressed you are, by the time you manage to get to fellowship and they are singing choruses and worshipping God, even though initially you are reluctant to participate as “the Spirit comes down” you find yourself dancing and rejoicing.
8. Healing “And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee”. I always remember the testimony of one of our members who was suffering from Chronic Ulcer. Then one day she was invited to a campus fellowship. She was not even born again at the time. And God miraculously healed her. Have you not experienced healing, just by someone laying hands on you, and you wonder how, what has defied medication for years just disappears like that. (Act 10:38.) one of the great Apostle's of this generation Late Pastor Timothy Obadare, said ' when you see miracles in a crusade it is as a result of people who tarried in God's presence throughout the night.’
9. Security. “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust”. There is uncommon protection in God’s presence. Angels will watch over you. When people are denied refugee claims in some countries they go and stay in the church premises and the government gives them reprieve.
10. God’s word comes alive. "You have made known to me the path of life. Psalm 16:11. The path of life is revealed to us through the logos and through the rhema… the written word and the spoken word consecutively and it never ends. … you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
11. Strength. "They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appears before God, Psalm 87:4. Your Strength is renewed in God's presence. "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31
12. Prosperity. You have a blank check! “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:8 For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened” Matt 7:7-8. “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” John 14:13-14
13. Eternal life: ‘Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Rom Act 4:1. You cannot dwell in God presence on earth and miss eternal life.
14. Hear God’s voice. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handywork.2 Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night shows knowledge.” Psalm 19;1-2 Moses spoke to god face to face because he was in his presence. You will hear Gods voice either audibly, through trance, vision or dream. Somehow you will have communication with God if you dwell.
15. Freedom from Sin-Just as it is difficult for the most amorous or adulterous person to engage in sexual intercourse while the service is going on, in the glare of everyone, it is very remote for anyone dwelling in God's presence to commit sin when dwelling in God presence. If you see yourself committing sin habitually know fully well you are not in God's presence. “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Psalm 51: 10-11 David realise he went to adultery when he was not dwelling in God presence but in flesh.
What Are the Disadvantages When We Don’t Dwell in God’s Presence?
1. Failure. Failure to dwell in God's presence means failure to put God in your equation, or plan which amounts to failure. Those who fail to plan have planned to fail. Those who deliberately refuse God have made themselves enemies of God. Satan tried it and he is battling against it, and will do that forever. Pharaoh tried it and perished in the Red Sea. "Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:2That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!" Isaiah 30:1
2. No access to God's blessing. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword;” for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. (Isaiah 1:19). They cannot enjoy God’s goodies.
3. God Leaves the Temple “Therefore, as I live, declares the Lord God, surely, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things and with all your abominations, therefore I will withdraw. ” Ezekiel 5:11. Check whether God is still in your church not whether you have the crowd or the instrument or best architectural design!
How Do I Dwell In God Presence? That is what we are going to spend the rest of the year to figure out. The Know how is what is usually the most difficult part of a project. It is easy to dream, it is easy to aspire the issue is how do you realise your aspirations, dreams and ambitions. That is why people say, “if wishes were horses beggars would ride”. Everybody want to be successful but everybody will not be successful. Everybody wants to have money and become a millionaire but not everybody will be, because they do not have the know-how. How, is the most critical question of life? How do I marry? How do I pass my exam? How do I have children and train them to maturity? How do I have a thriving ministry? How, is the critical question of man? All I can say is stayed tuned. I don't have all the answers but jointly we can figure it out. Your feed back will be appreciated in this area.
For the completion of this article and to satisfy your curiosity. Last November through December we travelled on Missionary journey under the platform of International Gathering of Eagles Conference to five nations,: Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, Ghana and Nigeria. I gave them 3 wisdom keys- Wisdom is knowing what to do. Skill is knowing how to do it and virtue is doing it.
Spend this year to find how to dwell in God's presence and dwell there. Our text this year is from Ex 33. The whole chapter is about how Moses dwelt in God's presence physically and spiritually. How he gained knowledge of God and was intimate with God. God appeared to him physically and spiritually. Spoke to him face to face. Called him by his name. Showed him his glory. Moses was still not satisfied. Show me your glory he cried? I want to see you, until God warned him, “ if you see me you will die, albeit I will put you in a Clift and pass by you”. One of the ways of dwelling in God presence is your consistency in desiring God presence. Most time we are off and on. Just coming to bible study is a challenge for us. Praying is a challenge for us. Reading the word is a challenge for us. How will you know God if you are not willing to undertake these spiritual activities? The bible says God is a spirit and those who will worship him will worship him in spirit and in truth. Dwelling in God’s presence is about waiting in His presence and pressing on in prayer, and fasting. In meditation on the word.
Conclusion. Choose God and dwell in His presence. Find His divine path for your life, and you will find true, inner happiness and fulfillment in this life. Choose your way or anyone else’s way – and you will reap absolutely nothing in this life as far as God is concerned when it is all finally said and done such people will lose eternity. The entire Yoruba song for the dead will not change situation if one refuses to dwell with God here. "Ile lo lo tarara Baba/ Iya re le ooo. Ile lo lo tarara." (The dead one has gone straight to heaven). Unfortunately, many of them are wandering about in the vicinity on earth in the spirit. My friend if you don’t dwell with him on earth, the chances are slim you will dwell with him in eternity, because there is no ‘know how’, to live in heaven - you simply live. That is why the theme this year cannot be joked with. Serious Christians will take it seriously. Maybe you have taken God for granted over the years. Don't worry that is the purpose of the Calendar from year to year it is to enable you to re- strategize, take advantage of the moment and Dwell in God's Presence in 2020. Shalom.
