Lesson Four

Practicing the Presence of God

 

I.                    Hungering for God’s Presence

Psalms 63:1-8 Amplified Bible

 

“ O God, You are my God, earnestly will I seek You: my inner self thirsts for you, my flesh longs and is faint for You, in a dry and weary land where no water is. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary to see Your power and glory. Because Your loving –kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. So will I bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My whole being shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. When I remember You upon my bed and meditate on You in the night watches. For you have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings will I rejoice. My whole being follows hard after You and clings closely to You; Your right hand upholds me.”

 

In man, there has always been an “earnest” seeking God. Most Christians have been lulled to sleep by the “easy belivism” of this era. Somehow, we have been handed a placebo and have been satisfied with it rather than really seeking God and knowing the realities of Him in a living, powerful and constant way.

 

      Lets look at what the framework on this Psalm:

a.       Earnestly I will seek God

b.      My inner self thirsts and my flesh longs and is faint for God.

c.       I have looked upon God to see His power and glory.

d.      My lips shall praise God and my hands will be lifted in his name.

e.       My whole being will be satisfied in knowing God.

f.        I will think and meditate on God even during the night.

g.       In the shadow of Him (his wings) I will rejoice.

h.       My whole being follows hard after and clings to God.

 

II.                Abiding in His presence

John 15:1-11 Amplified Bible

“ I AM the True Vine, and my father is the Vinedresser. Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the word which I have given you [the teachings I have discussed with you]. Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. I am the Vine; you are the branches, whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken-off] branch, and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned. If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and my words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine. I have loved you, [just] as the Father has loved Me; abide in my love [continue in His love with Me]. If you keep My commandments [if you continue to obey My instructions], you will abide in My love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commandments and live on in His love. I have told you these things, that My joy an delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing.”

 

In rabbinical teaching, repetition is significant. When something is repeated several times, it is quite important and significant. Over and over again, Jesus stresses that we are to abide (dwell) in Him and He in us. I believe with all my heart that He is referring to practicing His presence. Without drawing from abiding (remaining, continually dwelling) in His presence, we:

 

·        Cannot produce fruit

·        Cannot obey the Word

·        Cannot bring honor to the Father

·        Cannot have true and lasting joy

 

 

                  (Does this not sound like the majority of the Body of Christ?)

 

 

                  Homework:

 

1.)    Why does the modern “easy believism” not bring the believer in the relationship with God that id should?

2.)    In John 15, Jesus taught about the relationship of the branches (the Body of Christ) with Himself (The True Vine). What depth of dependency was He stressing that we should have for Him and staying in His presence?

3.)    Write down some simple ways that you plan to begin practicing the presence of God.