June 28, 2020

THOUGHT: 
“Everyday We Are Living in God’s Presence” 
Scripture: Psalm 139:7-18
Introduction: God’s presence is something that we cannot escape for as long as we are living and for those of us who are bound for eternal life, we will experience the joy of being in God’s Presence eternally. God’s presence: We are in God’s presence even at the height of the coronavirus running at a record high resulting in shocking death tolls. We are in God’s presence.
 
According to Psalm 139, living in God’s presence is a condition and state of mind that the Christian is actively living in everyday. And whether the non-Christian acknowledges it or not, they also are living in God’s presence, too. So what is the presence of God? The presence of God can simply be defined as there is no place that God is not present. It is the omnipresence of God. 
Omnipresent defined as present in all places, at all times; therefore, biblically we can derive that the omnipresence of God literally means that God is all present meaning that he is not confined, and/or restrained by any natural factors such as location, time or any dimension. It also speaks to the fact that He is present in all places at all times. While God is in Heaven on His throne, He is also present in every place. During the Old Testament time , God’s presence was amongst the people at all times. There are several scriptures in the Bible that confirm God’s presence amongst his people. Genesis 3:8; Exodus 3:2; Exodus 13:21; Exodus 40: 34; Proverbs 15:3 and Jeremiah 23:23-24. Case and point: God is close at hand; therefore, no one can hide himself from God. 
Background: Within this classic passage of scripture on God’s omnipresence in Psalm 139:7-12 , the psalmist says that he can never be out of the sight of God which leads into today’s lesson. You see God’s presence was very significant then and God’s presence is even more significant today. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Heb.13:8)We serve the same God as our forefathers did.
Point 1: Acknowledging God’s presence.
Psalm 139 begins with David acknowledging the fact that God knows him completely and practices a providence of omniscience over his life. David sees and acknowledges that God is omniscient and knows his every thought, every word and every move before he can think it, speak it and/or do it! During the Old Testament the appointed leaders and the Israelites acknowledged God presence at the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle was a temporary place of convenience where God met with His chosen people. It was simply a tent of meeting. It was for use in the wilderness wandering of His people. The thing of importance is that it was God's dwelling place. It was there in the midst of His people that He took up abode and met with them between the Cherubim, on the mercy- seat. In the holy of holies God manifested His presence by means of the Shekinah glory, and His grace on the mercy seat or place of propitiation. 
How do we acknowledge God’s presence in our lives today? Do we see God as the one who wakes us up in the morning , clothed in our right minds? Do we acknowledge that it was his angels of mercy who watches over us as we sleep every night? Do we acknowledge God’s presence in our lives when we make it through each day without incident! God’s presence contains, maintains and sustains us. While God has perfect knowledge of us do we have perfect knowledge of Him. When Job gave his final confession to God in Job 42: 1-6 Then Job answered the Lord and said, 2 “I know that You can do all things,And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. 3 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” 4 ‘Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me.’ 5 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear;But now my eye sees You; 6 Therefore I retract, And repent in dust and ashes.” Have we stopped, retracted, or repented! God has full knowledge and awareness of us.
Point 2: Activity in God’s Presence : The psalmist voices God’s presence in all of his activities. First of all, he begins by asking the 2 questions starting with “where” then views his possibilities with 5 “ifs” of possibly activities that would allow him to go from God’s presence. 
Well, the saved as well as the sinner are always present before the Lord! You mean:
-If I cheat on my spouse, taxes, tithes and tests (God is there)
-If I am not a good steward over my church, home, finances, spiritual gifts and other things God has entrusted to me (God is there)
-If I am living unrighteously behind closed and /or have a double life (God is there)
- If I am gossiping, slandering, disputing, being argumentative and a busybody (God is there)
-If my activity mirrors the word of God (God is there)
 
Remember your activity is always being done in God’s presence. God practices the providence of omnipresence in our lives meaning God is present in all places at all times. Remember Joseph in the well, Jonah in the belly of the great fish , Daniel in the lion’s den and the 3 Hebrew Boys in the fiery furnace, Dangerous situations but God was there. Paul said in Acts 17:28, “‘For in him (God) we live and we move and exist.'” That’s simply saying you couldn’t move apart from God. You couldn’t exist without God. He’s holding it altogether, He is the cohesive force in this whole universe. And so the fact is: God is everywhere. He’s all around us. He’s always beside us. When we finally accept God’s presence, the world and all it’s activities comes to a halt. God’s desires to communicate with us! We must learn that we are his offspring. How do you see yourself as God’s offspring?
Point 3: Accepting God’s presence. 
David finally accepts God’s presence asking  for God to search him, to know him, to test him, to lead him. In other words, I accept your presence in my life Lord now have your way. Who wouldn’t want to turn their life over to a God who is omnipotent meaning a God of limitless  power, authority and influence. We serve an almighty God. Concentrate on God’s presence and the truth of His word that’s being cultivated in you while we are yet in this pandemic plague process!
Allow God to cultivate your mind by dwelling on Him,  (live in or at a specified place; think, speak, or write at length about) by listening to Him (give one's attention to a sound; take notice of and act on what someone says; respond to advice or a request; make an effort to hear something; be alert and ready to hear something) by absorbing His truth into your spirit. (intensely interesting; engrossing). (Read Psalm 62; Romans 5: 5-9 ; and I Corinthians 3:16-17)