The Presence Of God

Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Psalm 51:11

Psalm 51 is a psalm of David written when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. It is a record of the tear-stained testimony of his brokenness before God. His repentance did not stem from the fear of punishment or concern of future success. He repented for having violated God Himself—His Person and His nature. He was deeply concerned about the presence of God in his life. David understood that sin can grieve the Spirit of God (Eph. 4:30-31), and when that happens, the tangible manifested presence of God can be lifted from his life.

Samson was the strongest man in the Bible. With his bare hands, he tore a lion apart. He carried the doors of the gate of the city on his shoulders up a hill and single-handedly defeated the armies of the Philistines. He was a man full of the power and the presence of God. However, Samson was complacent in his walk with God and gave himself over to the lust of his flesh. Samson indulged so much in sin that he took the presence of God for granted. As a result, the LORD departed from him and he didn’t even know it (Judg. 16:20).

David, on the other hand, treasured his relationship with God with his whole heart. What can we learn from David about keeping the presence of God in our lives everyday?

1. Develop a strong and intense desire for God. David was a man with a strong thirst for God. “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Ps. 42:1-2). “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matt. 5:6). Hunger and thirst are strong desires. God is not going to show up if you are not desperate enough to meet Him.
2. You’ve got to be dissatisfied in your spirit. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3). To be “poor in spirit” means you are dissatisfied in the spirit. You do not have enough of God. You empty your pride and self-importance in exchange for all of Him. Make a decision today that you will never take God’s presence for granted. Pray to God once again to renew your love for Him. If you have lost your passion for His presence because of your busyness, you can refocus your affection on Him again. Ask God to come into your life and fill you with His presence once again.