The Presence of God

Introduction:

Today I want to talk about the most important practice in our Christian life (in my opinion)

More important than Bible study

More important than prayer

I’m not saying that Bible study and prayer are not important or even optional

But there is a practice that is much deeper at the heart of what it means to be a follower of Jesus

In the 17th century a Carmelite Friar (monk) wrote a short book about this

“The Practice of the Presence of God”

In short it is:

Becoming aware that God is with you at any given moment

By faith (and imagination) realizing that God is near and present

And the reason I think this is the foundation for any other practice is because it points us and reminds us of the deeply relational nature of following Jesus

Bible study without realizing God is near and speaking to you causes us to treat the Bible like any other book (perhaps like Bible class)

Prayer without realizing God is near and treating him as someone we are actually speaking to means we aren’t really praying at all.

We are simply venting out loud to an empty room

But when we are aware of God’s presence, these practices bring us life and bring flourishing to our relationship with Jesus

So today I want to share with you a Psalm that reminds us of this great truth

Then I want to share some practical advice

Psalm 139

We are going to fly through this Psalm but I want to encourage all of you to read and meditate on it throughout the coming days

Psalm 139:1–6 (CSB)

Lord, you have searched me and known me.

You know when I sit down and when I stand up;

you understand my thoughts from far away.

You observe my travels and my rest;

you are aware of all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue,

you know all about it, Lord.

You have encircled me;

you have placed your hand on me.

This wondrous knowledge is beyond me.

It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.

He knows our every bit of movement and rest

He knows our every thought

He knows our every word

Psalm 139:7–12 (CSB)

Where can I go to escape your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to heaven, you are there;

if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.

If I live at the eastern horizon

or settle at the western limits,

even there your hand will lead me;

your right hand will hold on to me.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me,

and the light around me will be night”—

even the darkness is not dark to you.

The night shines like the day;

darkness and light are alike to you.

There’s no where we can flee from the presence of God

Heavens - Sky

Sheol - The Grave (ground)

East/West

Even in the darkness he is there

Psalm 139:13–16 (CSB)

For it was you who created my inward parts;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I will praise you

because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.

Your works are wondrous,

and I know this very well.

My bones were not hidden from you

when I was made in secret,

when I was formed in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw me when I was formless;

all my days were written in your book and planned

before a single one of them began.

Not only is he present but he has been present and involved since before we were born

He knit us together in our mothers’ wombs

He made us in secret

He saw who we are and would become before we are even born

He has planned every say of our lives and knows what is coming our way

Psalm 139:17–18 (CSB)

God, how precious your thoughts are to me;

how vast their sum is!

If I counted them,

they would outnumber the grains of sand;

when I wake up, I am still with you.

One of the most comforting thoughts

Not only did he create us and he is present

But he is actively thinking about you!

(Psalm 37:23-24) NLT

23 The LORD directs the steps of the godly.

He delights in every detail of their lives.

24 Though they stumble, they will never fall,

for the LORD holds them by the hand.

God doesn’t only love you

He likes you

He doesn’t just tolerate you

He delights in you

Psalm 139:19–24 (CSB)

God, if only you would kill the wicked—

you bloodthirsty men, stay away from me—

who invoke you deceitfully.

Your enemies swear by you falsely.

Lord, don’t I hate those who hate you,

and detest those who rebel against you?

I hate them with extreme hatred;

I consider them my enemies.

Search me, God, and know my heart;

test me and know my concerns.

See if there is any offensive way in me;

lead me in the everlasting way.

This Psalm ends with David bringing to God what is in his heart

Even though David is worshiping and delighting in God

He still has enemies

He has people who want to kill him and who are treating God without respect

He speaks his heart to God

He doesn’t turn away from honest prayer

C.S. Lewis:

“We must lay before him what is in us; not what ought to be in us.”

With that he gives God permission to check himself

Lord, search me and see if I’m wrong

Not my will be done, but yours

I don’t want you to be on my side, but I want to be on your side

Practical Pointers

Our goal that we work towards is to always be practicing the presence of God

Something stressful/anxiety producing happens -> We quickly bring it to God

Something sad/tragic happens -> We seek comfort from God

Something great happens -> We quickly give thanks to God

I have no doubt that one of the things that marked Jesus’s lived his life like this

But there are two things we can do to help us better practice his presence in the present

Looking forward (proactive prayer)

Looking backward (prayer of examen)

So think of today

Where you have been

Where you will be