Seeking the Presence? The Spirit Says 'Get Peaceful'

By Bob Slosser
CBN.com

CBN.com - So you say to me, "How do I know the Presence of God?"

And I say, "You don’t have to look far."

And you say, "What do you mean?"

And I say (I’ll stop this silliness soon), "My favorite verse, Galatians 2:20, says, ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.’"

"So," I say, "if you have truly placed your faith in Him and are born again, He lives in you. Galatians 4:6 says, ‘Because you are sons [lower case], God sent the Spirit of His Son [upper case] into our hearts . . .’ And you know that the Spirit of Christ is God. And, lastly, you know also that Jesus said in John 14:23, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching. My Father will love him, and We will come and make our home with him.’ You know whether you obey him, I trust."

So Christ may be in you, which is pretty close. We’re told He’s in our hearts, which is our essence. That means all we have to do is shut up awhile, be quiet and still (Psalm 46:10), and believe that by grace through faith, the creator of the world, the Sovereign Lord of the universe, is in us, desiring very much to commune, fellowship, talk to us by grace through faith. You will feel a little stupid at first, but if you’re where He said you should be – "in your closet [or room]" (Matthew 6:6) – nobody but God will see you. So do it, but get quiet, very quiet, even in your mind. Be patient, very patient; wait, in peace. Let the images come, but don’t conjure them up. Relax. Breathe. You will hear Him, inaudibly, but in your thoughts. You don’t often (almost never) hear His voice audibly. Don’t panic. Tell Him you love Him. Love is central to everything, and don’t forget it. Praise Him, thank Him, worship Him. Always loving Him and receiving His love.

A number of patriarchs would say that you don’t have to stay quiet. I do not quarrel with them on the point since I am pretty noisy myself when praying in a group. But I am more aware of the Presence of the Lord when I quiet down, especially alone. Psalm 46:10 may refer to movement as much as to sound, but I usually think of disruptive noisiness. The verse is introduced by an invitation to "come and see the works of the Lord, the desolation he has brought on the earth." So I advise approaching the Lord soberly, reverently, and even a tad fearfully sometimes. It’s good to be prayed up on sin and obedience.

One thing about the Presence of the Lord is that you be, beyond question, fully prepared to do anything he might tell you or ask of you. This is not just some guy off the street you’re talking to, you know. He loves you and wants deeply for you to love him, but he doesn’t deal in cynical, sarcastic nonsense or trash.

The following is an interpretation of a message in tongues given just now:

Little children, I say come to me in peace. That is the prerequisite. Your love means more to me than you can imagine, for I have yearned and wept and laughed for you in all your trials and joy. Sometimes you have loved me. Always love me. And always come to me. We can visit and observe together. That’s why you can sit with me in the heavenlies. Our Father is delighted. Don’t forget that I am with you always even to the end of the world. We have so much to see together.

I said "quiet"; the Spirit said "peace." Obey the Spirit. Remember those words, my friends, in all the days and nights ahead. Meanness, threats, and hellfire cannot blunt their power. You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. You are the saints. You must stand your ground, and after having done everything, stand (Ephesians 6:13).