Grace Notes // His Presence - Week 3
Written by Keli Miller
The Practice and Priority of His Presence
When studying the presence of God it’s hard not to talk about Moses. We are told that Moses met “face to face” with God on a regular basis. If there’s anyone who knows about the presence of God, it’s this guy.
We know Moses as the baby in the basket who grew up as a prince. After killing an Egyptian he ran away and lived as a shepherd for 40 some years. We don’t know much about what happened during those 40 years. When we pick back up with Moses he’s in the desert, hearing God talk to him through a burning bush.
We can’t say for sure what happened during those 40 years of living as a shepherd in the desert, but if I had to guess it was during this time Moses developed an appetite for God’s presence. When that bush was burning, Moses knew it was God, he recognized him and faithfully said “Here I am”. Moses very well could have gone from 0 to 100 with how he encountered God’s presence, but I think those 40 years were years spent looking for God and getting tastes of His presence. Later in his life, Moses is still making God’s presence a priority. In Exodus 33 Moses tells God, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” Moses knew his need for God’s presence.
God is always with us. As believers we carry His presence, but so often we miss it because we haven’t developed a practice that leaves us hungry and reliant on Him. Friends, God’s presence has to be a priority in our lives. When and how we choose to spend time with Him shapes every facet of our day-to-day. Do we actually believe what we read? Do we live as if we carry the presence of the risen God? On Sunday, our guest speaker, Dan Frost, had a great line, “Burnout happens when we focus on our problems over His presence”. In the same vein, breakthrough happens when we focus on His presence over our problems.
In the Word
Exodus 3, 33
Acts 2: 1-28
Processing Questions
Do I believe what I read? Where have I doubted the presence of God?
What practices in my life make God’s presence as a priority?