Day 30 May 23, 2006
Read: Psalm 21
Reflection:
You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.
For the king trusts in the Lord. (Psalm 21:6b, 7a)
Are we happy in God's presence? Do we enjoy the knowledge that God is simply with us? We should live every day with the simple realization that we have the Spirit of God present in our lives. Always. As another Psalm says, “Where can I flee from Your Presence?... Behold You are there.” There is nowhere that we are not in God's presence. But there are conditions for being able to sense that presence. First, we must trust in the Lord, knowing that He is just and righteous. Second to enjoy His presence, we cannot harbor secret sins. We must let Him see everything in us, and He will make us look, too. Only when we are willing to do this, will we find God's presence to be truly a joy.
Adoration:
Lord, You are to be praised because You have made Yourself available to all people, not just the rich and powerful, nor only prophets, mystics or the learned, but to ordinary men and women who only trust and enjoy You. You have made us to enjoy You just as You long to enjoy us.
Confession:
Lord, so often we try to come into Your presence with half-hearted efforts. We try to feel Your presence without it costing us anything. We whine, moan and complain when we don't feel Your approval. We think we can come before You at just any time, in whatever condition we find ourselves, with little thought about preparing our hearts to actually meet You. But You have made a way for us to come - through Your Son.
Thanksgiving:
Thank You, Lord, for making a way for us to feel Your presence. It is open to all who really want it, who will not stop until You answer their heart's desire. You have made this way freely available to any who are willing to pay the price - denying self and trusting You.
Supplication:
Lord, I would ask that at all times, I would feel Your presence with Joy. To be fully and deeply enamored with You. To trust You and You only. To experience the scripture “In Your presence is fullness of Joy.” and then to be able to share that Joy with the hurting and needy people who have lost it, or have never felt it for themselves.
Prayer:
Lord, without the joy of Your presence, we would be powerless in this life. We would have neither power nor incentive to see “Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.”
Rich Gitschlag
Tillamook Christian Center