The Presence of God
After forty years of wandering in the desert, as Israel prepared to enter the Promised Land, God appeared to Joshua and made him a promise. God charged Joshua with the solemn duty of commanding his people in a war against insurmountable odds. Joshua needed all of God’s promises, but he got one in particular, “No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5).
When facing a formidable enemy, knowing the God of the universe is granting you victory is comforting and encouraging. Knowing he is granting that victory by the promise of his empowering presence – even more encouraging. From the same paragraph in the first chapter of Joshua, as quoted above, the Lord repeats his promise, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). The greatest blessing God ever gives is the grace of his presence.
Almost two decades of marriage have taught me the importance of presence. The gift of “being there” for someone you love is a clear illustration of how God blesses his people with his presence. Two rocking chairs sit on my front porch as testimony of how Hope and I enjoy being together. From the very beginning of our relationship we have loved to talk. While courting, we spent hours getting to know each other. We still never seem to have enough time together. When we occupy those rocking chairs, the best thing about our conversation is not length or intensity but leisure. The conversation is never forced, and when it lags, we simply enjoy being together. No greater indication of enjoying another person exists than the ability to sit together quietly without the slightest discomfort.
I have never delighted in my wife simply because of the things she can do for me. I have delighted in her primarily because of who she is. I enjoy her thoughts and her company for the sake of her presence. A person’s relationship with God should have a similar quality. The gospel promises such intimacy in our relationship with God. He enjoys us, but more importantly we gain the great privilege of enjoying him. We enjoy him not merely for his gifts but primarily for the sake of his presence, which is the greatest gift of all.
About fifteen hundred years after Israel entered Canaan, a new Joshua, known better by the Greek pronunciation of his name, gives us the final version of God’s greatest promise. Jesus had faced the cross, risen again, and faithfully instructed his disciples. It was now time for him to ascend to the right hand of the Father and take his seat on the throne of heaven. Like Joshua of old his followers were about to face insurmountable odds, and they needed help making sense of Christ’s departure. He, therefore, reassured them, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). In the days ahead the Spirit of God would fulfill these words by coming to reside with God’s people in a permanence and power previously unknown.
As God completed the establishment of his church on earth he granted a promise of grace. Just as he had promised his people many times before, he promised again – “I will be with you.” Do not be mistaken, however, this promise was not made merely to that first generation of Christians. The experience of God’s presence is the inheritance of every true believer. The purpose for which God forgives our sins through Christ is that we also might receive the greatest gift of the gospel, which is God himself.
Delighting in God’s Presence,
Pastor Andy
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