It seems to me that one of the most important Spiritual Exercises that we can engage in is to Spend Time in God’s Presence. I love God’s presence! It draws me in, and it’s why I love spending time with Him. It’s also one of the reasons why we gather together as the church to worship. But I have a feeling (well, let me put it this way) I think if most believers are asked if God is with them, they’d respond: “Sure … God lives in me, is with me all the time.” But there’s so much more - there’s a deeper dimension of God’s presence that’s intense, tangible and transforming.
In the Old Testament whenever God’s presence would be revealed, His glory would come down and extraordinary things would happen. When King Solomon had the Ark of the Covenant brought into the temple, the priests led everyone in worship. They sang a song of praise to God and proclaimed: “He is good! And His mercy endures forever!” - 2 Chronicles 5:13. The Bible tells us the temple was immediately filled with a cloud and the weight of God’s presence became so intense the priests couldn’t even stand. How incredible - to experience God’s presence so strongly you couldn’t even stand under the weight of it! When God shows up - things happen. The Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament was the place of presence. While the Lord was present among His people, He localized this presence in the tabernacle for the benefit of His sinful people. The tabernacle was constructed so that the Lord would be among His people: “And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.” - Exodus 25:8. But in an even more specific way, the ark served as the place of the presence of God. (Exodus 25:22).
The Bible tells us about a man (who I can’t wait to meet one day) whose name was Obed-Edom. His passion for God was so great that he did whatever it took to be close to Him (2 Samuel 6, 1 Chronicles 13). Obed-Edom kept the Ark in his own house. Later, when the Ark was moved to Jerusalem, Obed- Edom packed up his belongings and moved his entire family just to continue being near God’s presence. His passion for God’s presence was picked up by his children and his grandchildren! As God’s children, we are being built into a living, breathing temple He longs to inhabit. Just like in the days of Obed-Edom, reverence and obedience are still vital keys for entering the presence of God. Our access to God’s presence is a precious privilege that we should never take it for granted. When we make meeting with Him a priority - when we wait for Him in faith - we receive the reward of encountering God’s power and glory. We get to experience His presence. We get to hear his voice when we’re in His presence and have life-transforming experiences. Many amazing and wonderful things come - but always remember … His presence is the prize.