Mission Venture Ministries

For, ‘in Him we live and move and have our being …” (Acts 17:28)

What would our lives be like if we could live in the continual presence of God and our Savior?   

When Jesus was living and teaching on earth nothing could separate Him from the presence of His Father; that is one of the reasons that He had great peace and power in His life; He was never anxious, worried or hurried. 

Scripture provides endless examples of how the presence of the Lord empowers His people to live for Him. 

The following are just a few examples: 

God’s presence was so evident in Abraham’s life, even the heathen around him recognized the difference between their lives and his: “At that time Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do” (Genesis 21:22). This heathen king basically said, “There’s something different about you, Abraham. God is with you wherever you go.” And the same is what others should see in us. 

Then, we see where Moses was absolutely sure that without God’s presence in his life it was useless for him to attempt anything. When he spoke face to face with the Lord, he stated boldly, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here” (Exodus 33:15). He was fundamentally saying, “Lord, if you’re not with us, we’re not going to make it. We won’t take a single step unless we are assured of Your presence with us.”

Later on the psalmist acknowledges comparable words when he wrote: Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2).

Moses knew it was God’s presence among them that set them apart from all other nations. The same is true of God’s people today. The only thing that sets us apart from nonbelievers is God’s presence “with us,” leading us, guiding us and working His will in and through us. God’s presence drives out fear and “will keep him in perfect peace whose mind in fixed on You, because he is trusting in You” (Isaiah 26:3). 

God promised Joshua that no enemy could stand against him as His presence was with him: “No one will be able to stand 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. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them” (Joshua 1:5-6). 

When God told Joshua I will never leave you; is saying the same to us, because at salvation, Christians are permanently indwelt with the Holy Spirit, who is God Himself (Acts 5:3–4). Christ affirmed that the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, would be with His followers always (John 14:16). Also, Jesus told His disciples that He would be with them “to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). As we see, the God who promised to never leave Joshua is the same Lord who says He will never leave believers today. 

God told Gideon, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior”…then “the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” (Judges 6:12, 14). 

The Lord is saying, “Gideon, there is a might in you so powerful it can save Israel. That might is My presence.” The Lord wanted to let Gideon know what any person can do when God’s presence is with them. 

Isaiah was told by God of a special promise He makes to those He loves: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior” (Isaiah 43:1-3). 

With God’s presence abiding in us, we can go through any potential difficulty, God will be with us; and when He is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) 

Scripture is filled with accounts of the wonderful blessings that came to those who had God’s presence with them. 

When God’s Spirit is present with us, we can be strong and courageous because we trust His promise that He will go with us. Just as the Lord replied to Moses, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14).As we learn, it is only when our lives are positioned in the Lord, in union with Him that we possess the appropriate power to overcome. Jesus said, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:4–5).

The believer’s empowerment comes from being in Jesus. Apart from Him, we can do nothing, but in Christ we have at our disposal all the strength of His might. Through the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, the Lord’s power makes us capable. He strengthens us with everything we need for any task. 

We can choose to live in victory, joy and peace every day; because we are filled with all of the fullness of God and He is doing more for us and in us, than we can ask or even imagine, (Ephesians 3:19-20). 

Almighty God wants us to accept the fact that He has made each of His children a “royal and holy priest unto Him,” to live in His presence each moment of our existence, to humbly and faithfully serve Him and the people that He has called us to minister to. 

Just as, “Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil” (John 12:3); there is always a refreshing fragrance, an aroma, about the people who are living in humble, unbroken fellowship with Jesus, as they reach out to people around them and draw them into the presence, comfort and love of Jesus everywhere they go.   

God’s humble, obedient children want Jesus to be the center of attention, and their deep desire is that others will see Jesus, high, Holy and lifted up, because Jesus said; “when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32). 

Who has the right and the privilege to enjoy the presence of God and live in the secret place of the Almighty? Only those people who will accept Jesus as the absolute Lord of their lives and of their time.   

Reach out to the Lord with your whole heart, trusting and obeying Him, and He will manifest His presence, enabling you to be steadfast and fearless for His honor and glory. 

“Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does

not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.”

Psalm 24:3-4 

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