Enjoying His Presence

" ⁹ As he went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and hover at its entrance while the Lord spoke with Moses. ¹⁰ When the people saw the cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, they would stand and bow down in front of their own tents. ¹¹ Inside the Tent of Meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Afterward Moses would return to the camp, but the young man who assisted him, Joshua son of Nun, would remain behind in the Tent of Meeting." Exodus 33:9-11 (NLT)

This time of year is always a season of readjustment for me. Focusing in on what is important in my life and the life of my family. There is no greater need in any of our lives than to make more room to enjoy His presence. The presence of our Father in heaven changes everything else we choose to focus on. He alone can bring about those changes we all deeply desire to make. My encouragement to you today is to make room for His Presence. Enjoy the words of Charles Spurgeon,(1834-1892), may they encourage and inspire you. - Todd

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"Beloved, if God looks at us, how much more ought we to look at Him! When we look at Him, what do we see? Oh, such a sight that I am not surprised that Moses said, "Please, show me Your glory" (Exod. 33:18). What a vision it is! Is it not a vision of heaven itself to see God? Is it not the prerogative of the pure in heart that they will see God (Matt. 5:8)?

Yet I cannot figure something out. Some of us have had the right to see God for years, and we have occasionally seen Him face to face, "as a man speaks to his friend" (Ex. 33:11). By faith we have seen God. But, beloved, what I cannot figure out is why we see Him so little. Do you ever find yourself living all day without God? Not completely, perhaps, for you would not want to go to work without a little prayer in the morning. But do you not sometimes get through that morning's prayer without seeing God at all? I mean, is it not just the form of kneeling down and saying good words and getting up again? And all through the day have you not lived away from God?

I fear it is possible to live not only days, but months at this dying rate, and it is horrible living. I would infinitely prefer to rot in a moldy dungeon and have the Lord's presence than to live in the noblest palace without God. After all, what makes life life is the enjoyment of the presence of God.

Suppose that this year we were filled with the desire to have our eyes always upon God from the beginning of the year to the end of the year, to be always conscious that He is seeing us, to be always aware of His presence. More than that, suppose that this year we were always longing to be obedient to His commands, always wanting to win souls for His dear Son, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. What a happy thing this would be!

Friends, we believe in a great God who "is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Eph. 3:20). Why not expect great things from Him? If I think of a blessing and dare to ask for it, surely then He is able to give it. Let us not stand back because of unbelief; let us ask that as God's eyes are upon us, our eyes may be upon Him. What a blessed meeting of eyes when the Lord looks us full in the face, and we look at Him.

Oh, that we may be in harmony with the Lord our God... may God look down from heaven, and we look up to heaven, and both of us be happy in the sight of each other, rejoicing in mutual affection! This is what communion means." - Charles Spurgeon