Wednesday April 17th, 2024
« You will show me the path that leads to life; your presence fills me with joy and brings me pleasure forever »
28 Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of His understanding.
29 He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.
30 Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.
31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Choosing to be in God’s presence is a thing of wisdom because it guarantees joy and everlasting satisfaction (Psalm 16:11).
- Therefore, if you are wise, you will always seek to be in His presence.
No wonder the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 91:1CW
« The one who lives in the shelter of the Most High, will rests in the shadow of the Almighty »
Only sin can drive an individual from the presence of God.
It was after the fall that Adam and Eve had to run from God’s presence (Genesis 3:8).
Jonah also ran from God’s presence and ended up in the belly of the fish simply because of disobedience (Jonah 1:3,15,17).
- When a person runs from the presence of the Lord, they are heading for destruction.
Our Scripture reading for today contains many miracles that happened in the presence of the Lord.
When you dwell (constantly stay) in God’s presence, you will never be tired because His attributes rub off on you (Isaiah 40:28-29).
God is never tired, and He is ready to share His strength with those who come into His presence.
Elijah and Elisha knew this secret and thus experienced miracles in His presence.
In God’s presence, Elijah enjoyed a divinely prepared meal, and he became so strong and swift that not only did he overpower four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, but he also outran the chariot of King Ahab, according to 1 Kings 18.
- Being in God’s presence also brings divine boldness. Elijah displayed this in 1 Kings 18:15.
As children of God, you must constantly be in God’s presence.
Even our Lord Jesus Christ did so.
He never compromised the presence of the Father for other activities.
Matthew 14:23 and Luke 6:12 detail how Jesus constantly withdrew to the mountain side to commune with His Father.
The early Church also cherished God’s presence whenever they gathered, there were always earth-shaking incidents (Acts 2:46). The early disciples were with Jesus for just three and a half years, yet the world knew they had been with Him (Acts 4:13).
The more you stay in God’s presence, the more you look and behave like Him (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Application – Draw an action plan that will enable you to constantly have effective fellowship with God throughout this year.
Author – Bishop Enoch. A. Adeboye.
Edited by Naomie
Freely you received, freely you must give (Math 10:8) , kindly share this devotion, and the Lord will bless you for it.
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