March 2 – The Presence of God

        Deuteronomy 29:10 – "All of you are standing today in the presence of Yahweh your God...."

        "The Presence of God" is a mystical phrase that is used today in various ways. There is a popular song from the 2010s called "Your Presence, Lord". It suggests a physical manifestation (a revealing) of God's Spirit, similar to what we read in Acts, chapter 2. The song even longs for this manifestation. The aforementioned verse in Deuteronomy could suggest this same manifestation, or it could suggest a general view of all of us constantly being under the watchful eye of God, which basically means that he is "all around us" without actually existing within created objects.

        As to the former option above, when the Israelites were being reminded of the covenant given at Horeb (in Deut. 29:10), God was still leading the nation through the desert as a cloud by day and as a pillar of fire at night – a physical manifestation of God (who is spirit). Deut. 31:17 is the last reference of this specific manifestation, even though the tabernacle might still have been assembled after the ark of the covenant and the Israelites all crossed the Jordan river into the promised land. I doubt that this manifestation continued, since the Israelites had entered the promised land, notwithstanding the fact that the ark was yet to find a final resting place. This did not happen until David's reign; it was not until Solomon had built the permanent temple that the physical manifestation of God re-appeared where the ark resided.

        Nonetheless, there are several references in the Psalms and in Jeremiah 5:22, where the term "Presence" is used in the general sense that we are always in God's presence. Even though a physical manifestation is currently rare, it is no less important to understand that all of us are under God's watchfulness, in a positive and negative way. God notices when the least sparrow falls unto death, and cares about us infinitely more (Luke 12:7; Matt. 10:29). God also sees every intent of the heart, whether good or bad (Mark 7:21-23). 

       The NIV renders Psalm 89:15 as "....who walk in the light of your presence, O Yahweh."  That phrase is commensurate with how we think of the mystical concept of "presence" today.  Nonetheless, the Hebrew words for this verse are "....they walk in the light of your face..."  This is also a mystical phrase, because God's face is not the sun in the sky.  It is a phrase using a physical concept to describe something otherworldly.  No one ever sees God's face, physically or metaphysically (1 Timothy 6:16), but somehow that metaphysical light is shed upon us; hence, the reason for using the term "presence".  From this verse in Psalm 89, one could also theoretically argue for using the term "shining" instead of "presence".

        It is certainly not wrong to seek a physical manifestation of God's spirit, unless one deems it necessary in order to know(feel) that God's spirit is leading one's life. This  scenario suggests a walk of feelings or sight, instead of a walk of faith, the former being quite far from how God wants us to live (2 Corinthians 5:7). It would be quite difficult to live when hard things enter our lives, if feeling God's presence were necessary. Nonetheless, the book of Acts records several events of God physically changing the meeting environment. I have read of many events throughout history, in which God's spirit was physically manifested. So, it is not out of the question for God to reveal himself in a physical way, when he chooses to do so. However, his "presence" cannot be manufactured by our religious conjuring, which I have seen attempted numerous times throughout my life, and which, no doubt, occurs repeatedly in America's church services. God manifests himself physically when it is in his plan to do so.

         When God reveals himself in a physical way, you will know it. You won't have to guess or wonder. You will know it. In the meantime, let us grow in God's grace and faith, trusting in him, no matter how we feel or what we see, knowing that he is for us and not against us (Romans 8:31).

January 11 – God is Eternal

        Psalm 93:2 – "[God's] throne was established long ago; you are from everlasting."

        I believe that the hardest concept for the human mind to grasp is that God has always existed. How can one understand not having a beginning, like all humans have?  In order for God to be all-powerful, he would have to be eternal; otherwise, he would just be another created being with great power, and therefore would need a greater Creator himself – which leads us back to a being who was not created.

        When Moses at the unconsumed burning bush asks God who is sending him to the Israelites, God commands Moses to speak "I am who I am". In other words, God is the self-existent one who exists now and has always existed. In that sense, God stands outside of time measurement as we know it, because he is not constrained by time or history. He only limits himself to allow for future events to happen "independently" of his direct control, as he has given humans the ability to act with their own free will, not just as a marionette on a string, controlled only by an unseen hand. The concept of the future, however, is for another day's topic.

        King Solomon surmised that "God has set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end" (Ecclesiastes 3:11). So, we do have some inkling of the idea of our existence never ending. It would be so depressing to have nothing with which to look forward, after this life on earth has ended. It would be at the very least absurd to join with the Jehovah's Witnesses' doctrine that only 144,000 literal persons out of the entire historical population of the earth, would continue to live eternally, while billions would simply cease to exist.  Remember, we don't know what it means to have not existed; therefore, it is even harder to grasp going from existence to non-existence. Our continuation, as Solomon stated, is inherent within our very souls.

        Father, open our eyes to see the future you have lovingly planned for us believers.