Should we have a word of prayer before we start?
Heavenly Father, we are totally, completely, and absolutely dependent on You and Your Son, Jesus. Lord, we pray that as we open Your Word today, we would have ears to hear.
Lord, we pray that Your Holy Spirit would bring forth Your Word in power and clarity. Lord, we pray that our hearts would be available to the Word entering now, taking root there, and changing us. In the name of Jesus, amen.
About six years ago, some of y’all may remember, I had an operation where I had both feet messed up for about a month. That was the first time the Lord put this on my heart. So I don’t hurry very often; I take my time.
The Lord, within the last few weeks, has really put it on my heart to share with you about the presence of God: what it is, where it is, and why we need it. We will also talk a little bit about wisdom in Proverbs, how that relates to the presence of God, and touch on the fear of God and how that relates to His presence.
There are a lot of Scriptures, and I will just go down the list. I think that is the way the Lord wants me to do it.
The first passage concerning the presence of God is Genesis 3:8. This is soon after the woman had listened to the serpent, the man listened to the woman, and they realized that what they thought would make them like God had brought them into sin.
And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day:
and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
They hid themselves from the presence of God. They knew they had sinned.
Let us go to Jonah 1:3. Here, the Lord called Jonah to go to Nineveh. Jonah sinned and decided he was not going to go. He was going to get on a boat and go to Tarshish.
But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
Here we go again: another man in the Bible who sinned, and he was going to run from the presence of God. That scares me to death. You remember what happened: the boat, the storm, and the fish. What was he thinking about, running from the presence of God?
And I wonder sometimes if that is what we do when we sin or when we do not like the way things are going.
Let us go to Job 1:12. Job is the man concerning whom God said to Satan, “Hast thou considered my servant Job?” Satan asked:
Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath, on every side?
Then God said, “Okay. Everything that he has, you can take away, except his life.”
And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy hand; only upon himself put not forth thy hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.
Satan went forth from the presence of God. He left. That is a good thing.
I think that lots of times, when we either sin or doubt what God is trying to do, we will run. We will try to get away from the presence of God. But there is no place to run. God is going to find us out, and He is going to work His work in us, now or later.
The presence of God is where we ought to desire to be, where we ought to take refuge—not outside His presence. We need to come to Him.
Sometimes we get to a place in our lives where we have a hundred things going on. There are people and things being asked of you, and you are asking things of other folks, and turmoil begins in your heart.
We need to remember that turmoil or chaos inside us is not of God. We should not have turmoil and chaos going on inside of us. We come and ask the Lord, “Lord, let me come into Your presence.” We will find peace in that place.
When we are running a hundred miles an hour, the devil is lying to us. On the other hand, the Lord may be trying to teach us something: chaos and worry are foreign to God. They are foreign to what He desires for His people.
We are all busy, that is for sure. Jonah was plenty busy, but he was asked to do something. So, as we are called by the Lord, let us remember to stop and ask, “Lord, let me come into Your presence. Let me take refuge there. Bring me peace and quiet, so You can work out in me what You desire in me.”
We need to try not to be afraid of what the Lord wants to do. I think Jonah, and especially Adam and Eve, were scared to death. That is one thing we do not have to fear, because death has been taken care of for us through the blood of Jesus.
Let us go to Psalm 84:2. I would ask the question: Is this what we do? Is this what we feel? Is this what we praise? Is this what we ask the Lord to do in us?
My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Do we do that in times of trouble? Do we cry out for the living God, or do we try to run from the presence of God and find refuge somewhere else? There is nowhere else.
We have got to go back to the presence and life of God to find that peace, to find that tranquil resting place. Oh, y’all, do any of y’all feel tired all the time? I do.
I think a lot of it is because I choose to try to handle things myself and not return to the resting place of the presence of God to get my strength.
The Lord is teaching us all. He is certainly teaching me. He is going to use different things. He may use weakness in your body. He may use trouble between you and your spouse. He may use your children. He may use other brothers and sisters.
But how are we to handle that? We are to return to the presence of God and find peace in Him. All the chaos is not of God. We need to rest anyhow.
Psalm 71:3 says:
Be thou to me a rock of habitation, whereunto I may continually resort:
thou hast given commandment to save me;
for thou art my rock and my fortress.
“Whereunto I may continually resort”—continually, constantly, always. Do we resort to our Rock continually? Or do things have to get to a point of fear before we resort to Him?
One moment at a time. The Book says, “Whereunto I may continually resort.” May: I can. We can, because the Book says we can. God is always there for us. We need to remember to do that.
This “continually” is a really, really important thing. As we go through the day, things come up moment by moment.
At work, I have a little cardboard box with a lid on it. That is my desk. You are getting hit from all sides, and you never know what is going to happen. I took a piece of paper, cut it out, put it where I could see it, drew a cross on it, and wrote, “Thank You, Jesus.”
If I have my eyes open and I look down, I see that. That may not be the spiritual way; the spiritual way would be, “Oh, I thought of Jesus.” But when I am in turmoil, if I look down and see that note, I will run straight to Him. I will run to the presence of God.
Take two seconds and get your breath. It does not take any time. It is instantaneous. We do not have to beg and plead with God to come into His refuge, to continually be in His rest.
We do not have to go out and get a sheep without blemish, bring it, build a fire, start the fire, throw the sheep on it, and let it burn as incense. Can you imagine? What has Jesus done for us?
We do not have to run anywhere. We do not have to do anything. Jesus Christ has done it all, that we could find peace and continually dwell with our heavenly Father.
Psalm 71:24 says:
My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long.
All the day, continually. What do our tongues talk about? Where do our tongues lead us? At times, mine leads me down a path where I should not go.
But the Book says, “My tongue also shall talk of Thy righteousness all day long.” We all have work to do, and we have to interact with people. But being in the presence of God will allow us to speak of His righteousness all day long in our hearts, in our inner man, where Jesus dwells.
Jesus is further in our hearts than the physical heart is in the body. He is protected. The devil and his world cannot get to Him. Even if this physical heart quits beating, they cannot get to Him.
Think of that. Do we protect Jesus and ourselves so that we realize the preciousness of Him being inside us? That ministers to me. He will not let us go. He has got us. And where would we go even if He let us go?
Psalm 36:7 says:
How precious is thy lovingkindness, O God!
Therefore the children of men take refuge under the shadow of thy wings.
I mentioned refuge a couple of minutes ago. Where do we take our refuge? We may take refuge in our homes and family members, and that is good. Thank God we have family to run to. Thank God we have brothers and sisters to run to.
But where is our real refuge? Where is the only place we can find the peace of God? In the presence of God. It is available to us.
The presence of God is our comfort. Jesus is our comfort. The Holy Spirit has been given to us. The Lord said that it was better for us that He leave, so the Holy Spirit could be sent.
May we allow the Holy Spirit in our lives to be our comfort, carrying our prayers to the Lord and asking for peace and calm? There is true tranquility in the presence of God for all of us.
May we turn and go back to the presence of God in days of trouble, pressure, and worry.
Psalm 5:7 says:
But as for me, in the multitude of thy lovingkindness will I come into thy house:
in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
This is David, but I pray it would be me. I pray it would be each of us: “As for me, in the greatness of Thy lovingkindness, I will enter Thy house.”
The house is not a building. The house is not an address. The house is the body of Christ and the life of the Lord Jesus in it. Where are we going to run? What are we going to cherish and take care of? What do we call important?
I think running to Thy house is real important. We run around a lot. We all do. We are busy.
Who are we to give God trouble? Who am I to give God trouble? Run to His house. Find refuge there. If you have lost your peace, it is not gone; you are just avoiding it. We are avoiding it.
Our heavenly Father has not changed. God has not changed. Come back to the house of God. Find your refuge and your peace there. Be together with your brothers and sisters, and be together with your family too.
When we get to His house, do we bow down, or do we make demands and ask for things? Do we come each week with a list of needs, desires, and wants? There is nothing wrong with wants, and there is nothing wrong with needs. The Book says our needs are going to be taken care of.
There is an outdoor writer named Pat McManus. He told a story about getting scared in the woods, and he made a suggestion to all of us who have ever been lost in the woods: when you panic, make it a modified stationary panic. Bounce off trees, but stay in the same area. Somebody will find you.
In the church, when we panic, bounce off the church. Bounce off the walls, but do not get outside. Get back in. Panic if you need to, but do not leave the place of refuge.
When I was fourteen, I got lost while hunting in the mountains near Williamsville. I had dropped over the wrong ridge, on the wrong side of the mountain. Once I got there, I could no longer hear my uncles.
I called out, but there was no answer. I panicked—not a modified stationary panic, but real panic. I was calling on the name of Jesus, thinking I was lost and going to die on that mountain.
How lost were we before the Lord found us? I was completely and totally lost. I was scared to death. There is a place past panic and fear that is absolutely unbelievable. It paralyzed me, and I was calling on the name of the Lord.
I finally found the river, but it was running in the wrong direction. That is lost. I cried out and screamed, “I am lost. Somebody save me.”
A man finally heard me. He asked, “Where did you start out this morning?” I said, “Williamsville.” He said, “That is seven miles down the river.” I had run seven miles in the wrong direction.
How far do we run before the Lord says, “You are running in the wrong direction”? I asked that man what I should do, and he said, “Cross the river.” I crossed that raging, cold mountain river with my shotgun over my head. I never slipped. I never went under.
My grandfather and my uncles wept when they saw me. They thought I had fallen off a cliff and died. What does our heavenly Father do for us? How does Jesus weep for us when we are lost? How much does He long for us to come into His presence and find our peace, relief, and rest?
Psalm 62:1-2 says:
Upon God alone doth my soul rest peacefully;
from him is my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation, my high fortress:
I shall not be greatly moved.
And Psalm 62:5-8 says:
Upon God alone, O my soul, rest peacefully;
for my expectation is from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation, my high fortress:
I shall not be moved.
With God is my salvation and my glory;
the rock of my strength, my refuge, is in God.
Confide in him at all times, ye people;
pour out your heart before him:
God is a refuge for us.
God is your refuge. God is your refuge. God is your refuge. In eight verses, David says the same thing three times. Anytime I see something in the Bible three times, I figure God wants to get my attention.
Let us turn to Proverbs 1:7.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge:
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Do we fear the holy God? Not an unhealthy fear, but a healthy fear of the Lord. How do we start to have wisdom? By fearing God and by being in God’s presence.
Where does wisdom come from? Reading the Book inspired by the Holy Spirit, and having hearts willing to accept what the Book says. Anybody can read the Book and not know anything about the fear of God.
Our brother Ed Miller said that the most important thing you must do before you study the Word of God is ask the Holy Spirit to open it up to you and show it to you.
That is why men can teach this Book at a university and not know the Lord Jesus Christ. They read it as a book, not as the unchangeable Word of God inspired by the Holy Spirit.
How do we read the Book? Do we read it desiring that wisdom would come from it? Do we read it desiring that we would understand how to fear God? Do we read it hoping that it will bring us into the presence of God?
God does not forget us, no matter how much we want to run from the presence of God, fight God giving us wisdom, or decide that we do not need to fear God. He does not forget us. Thank God.
Proverbs 2:5-6 says:
Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord,
and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord giveth wisdom.
First, we have to apply our heart to the Word of God and desire Him to give us wisdom. Secondly, we have to incline our ear. When we are in the Word, listening to ministry, or worshiping, do we incline our ear to hear what God is trying to teach us?
If we have done those things, wisdom will come to us. It says, “Lift up thy voice to understanding.” “Lord, give me understanding. Teach me. Change me.”
If we are not changing, we are not doing it right. The Book says to apply thy heart and incline thine ear. We must understand the fear of the Lord to find the knowledge of God.
It all works together: wisdom brings us into the presence of God; knowledge brings us into the presence of God. Incline our ear. Oh God, let us hear.
Wisdom is a shield to those who walk in integrity. Find wisdom, and then you will find understanding, righteousness, judgment, equity, and every good path.
God expects integrity from us. He demands integrity. What about our testimony? How would we blemish our testimony if we did not have integrity?
Every good path may not look good. I did not say it would look good. But if God tells you to go down it—if God tells me to go down it—are we willing? Do we have a willing heart?
If we had wisdom, we would say, “Well, that would be the wise thing to do.” But are our hearts willing to go down every good path so God can change us?
Proverbs 4:23 says:
Keep thy heart more than anything that is guarded;
for out of it are the issues of life.
Keep your heart guarded, for out of it are the issues of life—the important things. Guard it.
Proverbs 8:13 says:
The fear of the Lord is to hate evil.
What does God hate? God hates evil. Do we hate evil? I do not mean only the evil that we do not talk about because it is so bad. I mean the evil in our hearts, the evil in my heart.
Do I want that evil separated from me? Thank God, our sins are forgiven and our salvation is secure. But do we want to have the knowledge and wisdom that comes from praying to God to remove that evil from us, so we can walk before God on every good path and into His presence?
Do we hate evil, or do we justify evil according to our feelings, our desires, and our wants?
At work, somebody may say, “Let me tell you a joke.” I ask, “Is it dirty?” They say, “Well, it is not really dirty.” I say, “Is it a little dirty?” If it is, I do not want to hear it.
Thank God people know where I stand. And if they do not, they will find out quickly enough. A new man came in one day and said, “Everybody has told me about you.”
Thank God, God is tolerant. When we walk up the path, open the door, and Jesus is there, we say, “Jesus,” and He says, “Glad you could come in.”
Our heavenly Father sees what Jesus has put on us. He sees the righteousness of Christ. Thank God it does not depend upon us. We do not need to dwell on bad things, but we do need to ask God to change us and root them out.
There are pokeberry bushes with purple berries. Bamboo is bad, but I believe a pokeberry bush is worse. You can dig two feet in the ground and find a root that big. I have one in the middle of my rosebush. I have dug, cut, and poured gasoline on it, but it comes back every year.
How deeply is evil embedded in us? Do we have pokeberry bushes that need to be dug out, taken out of us, and thrown away? I do. That is why I am always bruised up and banged up.
Do we hate evil, or do we justify evil according to our feelings, our desires, and our wants?
Proverbs 14:26 says:
In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence;
and his children shall have a place of refuge.
We have a place that has been prepared for us by God. Jesus went to prepare a place, and we have a place right now in the presence of God.
Are we going to enter into that place, enter into that refuge, enter into the fear of God, and enter into wisdom? Enter into the presence of God continually so we do not slip.
A little slip can do a lot to an old person. When we make a little slip, what is lost? What could have been gained? What can be gained if we use the wisdom of God, the fear of God, and the presence of God?
Help us, Lord, not to slip. And when we do—we are by no means perfect—where do we run? Run to our Lord.
Proverbs 14:27 says:
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
to depart from the snares of death.
The devil knows that we are the Lord’s. All he can do is try to keep us out of the presence of God, from becoming wiser in God, and from fearing God. Thank God our salvation is secure.
Let us remember that we have a place where we are protected from the snares of death. Our Lord Jesus is our refuge and our life.
Lastly, let us turn to Obadiah 1:15.
For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations:
as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee;
thy recompense shall return upon thine own head.
The day of the Lord is at hand. It cannot be long. But, by myself, I have a lot of things I want to do. That is probably the wrong path.
“Hang on, Lord. I have still got some things I want to do.” We will never be ready if we wait for everybody to be ready. If we wait until everybody is ready, y’all will never go because I will not be ready.
Let us come back to the presence of the Lord. Dwell there. Take refuge there. Find our peace there. It is in the Book.
Thank all of y’all for your patience with me. Thank you for the opportunity to share what the Lord started putting on my heart about seven years ago.
Let us pray together.
Lord, change us. Put a desire in our hearts to be in Your presence. Put a desire in our hearts to quiet ourselves when we feel troubled.
Lord, You have a place for us to rest and be comforted away from the chaos. Teach us to call upon Your name continually. Teach us to take refuge in You, Lord.
Prepare us for the day of the Lord at hand. Lord, we pray that Your Word would not go out to ears that cannot hear, or to hearts that are not ready to be fed.
Change us, Lord. Amen.