Monday Musings - God's Presence

We had a guest speaker at church yesterday, Byan Mowrey, who was a great communicator!  He did a presentation of God's presence that was so awesome that I wanted to share it with you.  I love when someone takes something familiar to me and turns it on its side - just to allow me to see it a little differently.  I love that at 52, God continually surprises me with new revelations of Himself.  Here are some of his thoughts mingled in with some of my observations.

God's initial presence is revealed in Genesis 1 - "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters." Wow - God is hovering - He is moving.

Next, we see God in the garden, walking and talking with His creation.  Love how God is all about relationship.

Next, God presence is seen in a burning bush as He is speaking to Moses - take off your shoes for this is Holy Ground!

Next, we see God's presence on the mountain.  Moses climbs up the mountain and speaks to the Lord.  Moses brings the word of the Lord down to the people.

Next, we see God's presence in the tent of meeting and then the tabernacle.  There was a cloud by day and fire by night.  That gives me chill bumps!

Next, God's presence is seen in the ark of the covenant.  The Israelites took it with them wherever they went.

Next, we see the building of the Temple and God's presence dwelling there . . . the holy of holies.  Only a priest could enter the holy of holies once a year and there was a heavy curtain that hung there - partitioning this off.


Then, we have the books of the prophets. 
Ezekiel 36:26-28  Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My ways .  .


We see some transitional language here and we can tell that something very new and different is on the horizon.
And . . . indeed it was!  

The gospels tell us that the very presence of God came down to earth in the form of Jesus.  God came near.  Wow - hard to wrap your mind around.  The presence of God dwelling in a human body!  Jesus lived here in this earth - died by being crucified on a cross to cover our sin - and overcame death as our Resurrected Lord to give us eternal life.


Then, came Penecost and the Holy Spirit came down to indwell believers.


Are you ready for this . . . God's presence is now in each one of us.  Now, this was not new news for me and it may not be for you either, but nonetheless, I am blown away by the truth of this.


It isn't about buildings, or a day of the week or a certain posture.  It is about the living Jesus dwelling in each of us that have embraced Him as Savior. 

We are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Don't gloss over that -- we are temple of the Holy Spirit!  As we begin to understand Whose presence we are in - it changes everything.  What we say, what we do, how we think, interact and react - are all done in the presence of Jesus. 

Life is hard sometimes.  We struggle, we grieve, we strive to be enough.  God, the I AM, dwells in me.  This tells me that I AM is enough.  In other words, as I live and breath with Jesus as my Savior, I am enough.  It isn't about where I live, what I do or what I own.  God's presence is with me.  I am never alone.  What a profound gift - the very presence of God that indwells someone as undeserving as me.  

Only grace . . . Only God.