Presence Desperation
"The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music." Psalm 27: 4-6 NLT
'Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. Interlude
Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind, and the powerful are not what they appear to be. If you weigh them on the scales, together they are lighter than a breath of air.
Don’t make your living by extortion or put your hope in stealing. And if your wealth increases, don’t make it the center of your life." Psalm 62:5-10 NLT
I have been a Christian for over 18 years. When I first came to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior I was at a place where I felt like my life was falling apart. I had low goals in life and I had baggage, lots of hung-ups, emotional handicaps, and issues. When I turned to Jesus, I knew I needed Him and I needed Him desperately. I was dependent on Jesus for many things, but I needed Him to walk into my life. I needed Jesus to come into my heart but also my circumstances. I needed Him to make Himself known in my life. I needed His presence.
When I turned to Jesus, I knew I needed Him
and I needed Him desperately.
In today's culture we grow up so we can be self-dependent adults. Our goal is to be on our own, to not have to owe anyone. We take pride in the fact that we can manage things ourselves without reaching out for help. We can easily become that way with our Lord and Savior. When we come to know Jesus Christ, originally, we are often times at a place so broken down before Him. We are so aware of our sin and our need for a Savior. And as time goes on, we take steps in following Jesus. We listen to His ways and our lives start falling into place. But, sometimes as we grow in our Christian faith we end up becoming less and less dependent on Jesus, as our lives seem to fall better into place. The end goal isn't to become more self-sufficient but to become more and more dependent on Jesus. In fact, we are to be just as dependent as we were when our lives were still falling apart. I have noticed when my life is feeling all together I can feel farther way from Jesus. Not closer to Him. But when I am aware of my need for Him I feel closer to Him.
Both of these Psalms were written by David. I love how both these Psalms express the need for God to be in the midst of our life situation, to be the center of their lives. Psalm 27:4, He talks of living "in the house of the LORD". This could represent an actual building, but most commentators believe it meant "the presence of the LORD". King David, a man after God's own heart, greatest desire was to live in God's presence. He had this desire for a relationship, for communion with our Savior. Our culture emphasizes otherwise, to grow less and less dependent on things. But seeking God, depending on Him brings His protection, His favor, His goodness. It brings His presence into our lives. It is a sad lie if we tell ourselves to continue without those things.
But seeking God, depending on Him brings
His protection, His favor, His goodness.
It brings His presence into our lives.
The amazing thing about the God we serve is He isn't a demanding God. He isn't needy. He isn't pushy and rude. He will wait patiently for us, like He expects us to wait patiently for Him. He doesn't need our time or become needy of praise. The God we serve knows His worth and wants us to acknowledge it for our own advantage.
So here I am, reminding myself once again to depend on Jesus as I once did. Depend on Him because despite my life, despite this current situation, my life will still fall apart without Jesus. I need Jesus and I need to make allowance for it daily. I need to stay desperate for Him because without Jesus I am hopeless. But with Him, with Jesus, is His life saving presence that I never want to take advantage of or live without.
