Basking in God’s presence denotes taking pleasure in His Presence, savouring His Presence; but no one can relish nor partake of the eternal blessing associated with God’s presence without having a good grasp of what His Presence means or entails; hence the scriptural truth that: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge… (Hosea 4 v 6). First and foremost, to bask in God’s presence entails seeking his kingdom first, for Jesus clearly tells us in Matthew 6:33 that we should seek first the kingdom of God and all other blessings/things shall be given to us. Now, what is the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is the salvation that Jesus bought for us with his precious and sinless blood; hence Jesus is our salvation, freely given to us by God. Jesus made us to understand that he became sanctified so that we can truly be sanctified (Jn 17:19). Sanctification is a twofold act: separation from evil and consecrated unto God. So, it is evident that it is not enough that we are saved, but that we take a step of faith and live a sanctified life through our behaviour and speech. Additionally, we should live a consecrated life; that is, dedicating our lives to living for God, living a life of complete faith in God, as our all in all, the sole executive director and administrator of our lives. We are not daunted or moved by any circumstance, no matter how unpalatable, but by the living word and works of God; for the just must and shall live by faith in God’s faithfulness and loving kindness.
Having clarify what qualifies us to bask in God’s presence, next is Why should we seek the Presence of God?
Firstly, we should seek the presence of God because Jesus categorically instructs us to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness before we can receive any other thing from God. So, seeking the kingdom of God is tantamount to seeking his presence.
Secondly, there are advantages attached to seeking God’s presence. Ps 16 vs 11 equally informs us that our God fills us with joy in his presence, and after which we can enjoy the pleasures that are found in the Right Hand of God; and the relevance of being joyful is written in Isaiah 12 vs 3: With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Likewise, Ps 68:3 tells us that “…the righteous are glad and rejoice in His presence; they are happy and shout for joy.” Likewise, the Psalmist speaking God’s will infers that God’s presence protects and defends us; 18:12 tells us that out of the brightness of His presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. Ps 68 also affirms the same, for it states that “…as wax melts in front of the fire, so do the wicked perish in God’s presence.” Besides, the assurance of God’s protection when we appreciate His presence in our lives, the brightness of His presence bestows favour on us. This is authenticated in Isaiah 60:2-3, and it reads: The brightness of His presence will be with you. Nations will be drawn to your light, And kings to the dawning of your new day (GNB).
Ordinarily, presence denotes the state of being physically present in a particular place; a person’s personality, that is, an individual’s personal qualities or characteristics, or a person’s personal appearance, viz., the way a person looks or how the individual is perceived by others. Before expanding on the presence of God, we want to mention that God’s Presence is like a four-sided figure, a quadrangle that cannot be disconnected, but with distinct manifestations: first, we have the omnipresent presence of God, second, we have the impressive presence of God, third: global force or sovereign God, ps114:7, 2Tim 4:1 individualized presence of God, viz., God’s personality or nature, and fourth, the indwelling presence of God.
First, when we are talking about the omnipresent presence of God, we are referring to His universal and unbounded presence everywhere and at the same time. He is not bounded by time; neither can he be restrained by space or location because God is a spirit. We are equally talking about the presence of God that is made manifest in His creation. The Psalmist exclaims: Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your Hand will guide me… (Ps 139:7-16). Acts 10:33; 2 Tim 4:1
Second, we have the sovereign presence of God, which can also be coined as the omnipotent presence of God; when God exhibits his sovereignty, He is perceived as a global force to be reckoned with, the supreme ruler over all His creation. God’s sovereign presence is manifested in Ps 114:7; it states: ‘Tremble, earth, at the presence of the God of Jacob’, while Rev 14:10b reads: ‘…They will be tormented with burning sulphur in the presence….of the Lamb. The awesome presence of God is also noted in Lev 10:2 – ‘So fire came out from the presence of the Lord, and consume them, and they died before the Lord.’
Third, is the impressive presence of God: power to attract attention, awe, reverence, impactful. In this instance, when we are talking about God’s presence we are referring to His divine face or panim. Panim is a Hebrew signification of presence. For instance, seeking the Lord means seeking His Presence; “Presence” is a common translation of the Hebrew word “face”. Literally, we are to seek his face, and this is the Hebraic way of having access to God. The Presence of God is the face of God: David says, Your face, Lord, I will seek. By the same token, we can oblige to seek God’s immaculate presence by ‘…coming before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song as stipulated in Ps 95 vs 2.
Fourth, when reference is made to the indwelling presence of God, we are referring to the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of his people. By indwelling his children through his Spirit, God is able to have a personal relationship with us. We are highly blessed because this season is the dispensation of Grace not of the law, for we have inherited grace and truth from the Lord Jesus, the instance we believe that he has saved us from sin and its consequences by his redeeming blood. As such we live for Jesus, through him and in him, and so, Who shall separate us from the love of God? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?… No in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35-39).
The indwelling presence of God should be permanently present in someone’s soul and mind, to possess spiritually, the Holy Spirit indwells his people; Rom 8:14; 12:1; to abide within, as a guiding force, motivating principle, a divine spirit indwelling in nature, to possess a person, as a moral principle (rudder/steering and compass/guide), compassion that indwell the heart, exist as an inner activating spirit, a guiding force to be reckoned with in our lives.
In sum seek the presence of God with all your might and mind and every other thing that you desire shall be yours in Jesus’ name.
Author: Tflame
