I had a few questions in mind when I started this study. This post looks at the first two.
1. What is a "presence?" Random House Webster's Dictionary says: 1) the state or fact of being present. 2) immediate vicinity. 3) personal appearance or bearing. The words translated as “presence” in the Bible mean “face” or “front.”
Here are a few passages from the Bible that refer to the face or front of the Lord:
Because He loved your forefathers and chose their descendants after them, He brought you out of Egypt by His Presence (FACE) and His great strength. --Deuteronomy 4:37
You have made known to me the paths of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence (FACE). --Acts 2:28
This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence (FRONT) whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything. --1 John 3:19-20
His Face brought them out of Egypt and fills me with joy. Being in Front of Him sets our hearts at rest.
2. Is the Lord's presence important to us? Why? What is the most basic reason why? Think as a small child thinks. Do (or did) your children always want to be with you? When she was small, M always, ALWAYS wanted me to hold on to her hand, not just to let her hold my hand. Sometimes if I didn't hold it tight enough, she'd let me know. I believe that the Lord's presence is important to us because that's the way He made us. We need that presence. I don't think it is something that we should outgrow. Moses thought that the Lord’s Presence was very important:
The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Then Moses said to Him, "If Your Presence (FACE) does not go with us, do not send us up from here. "--Exodus 33:14-15
Moses was unwilling to go anywhere if the Lord didn't go, too. Should we be any different?
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