Carriers of God's Presence - 18 Jun 09

And David and all Israel went up to Baalah, to Kirjath Jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God the LORD, who dwells between the cherubim, where His name is proclaimed. 1 Chronicles 13:6

There was a period of time when the ark of the Lord was in captivity. The ark represented God’s presence to the people of Israel. But for 20 years, the ark was stolen and taken away by the Philistines. On the way back to Jerusalem, David decided to put the ark on a cart and that resulted in a tragedy. God’s presence cannot be carried on man-made traditions and methods. The presence of God is to be carried upon the shoulders of priests. Today, we are the priesthood of God. “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).

As believers, we are to carry the presence of God in our lives. We are to touch our world with the presence and the power of God (2 Cor. 2:14-15). We are the fragrance of Christ to believers and unbelievers. When the presence of God is upon you, people are affected when they are near you. Jesus carried a strong presence and power of God. The multitudes thronged Him, the children loved Him and they wanted to follow Him wherever He went.

People must be able to see the presence and power of God in your life. Paul says, “And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Cor. 2:4-5).

How do you carry the presence of God?

(1) The presence of God comes through worship (Ps. 95:2, 6).

(2) The presence of God flows through a contrite heart (Ps. 34:18).

(3) The presence of God dwells in an atmosphere of holiness (Deut. 23:14). Make it a point to spend time in worship everyday. As you walk in humility, purity and holiness, God’s presence will be manifested in a greater way in your life. You will experience His power fl owing through you, empowering you to touch your world for Christ.