Experiencing God's Presence #278

Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him.

Hebrews 10:22

In the days of the Tabernacle and the Temple, the place of God’s Presence was designated as a small “Holy of Holies” in which the Ark of the Covenant was placed. Only the high priest could enter, and then only once a year, and even then only after a series of purifying rituals that would protect the priest from death. No one just waltzed into the place where God dwelled.

But a greater High Priest came, and at His death, the thick curtain of the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom. God removed the barrier between the hearts of His people and His dangerous but awesome Presence. An encounter that once would have consumed us now enlivens us. We can enter the throne room of God confidently.

What does that mean for us practically? Long before Jesus came, God’s people prayed, and He heard. Anyone could speak with the invisible God at any time. And we still pray to an invisible God and know that He hears us. So what’s different now? How does access to the Presence change the way we relate to Him? What does it mean to “go right into the presence of God”?

For one thing, it means that we pray not to a distant God but to a God who lives within us. For another, it means that we pray with complete assurance that there is no obstacle between us and Him. And finally, it means we can expect to experience His Presence if we ask. Instead of relating to Him as someone sitting across the table trying to negotiate an agreement, we connect with Him as a partner working on the same project. Or instead of knowing Him as someone else’s father, we can crawl into His lap with full confidence that we are welcome.

Father, let me never take my access into Your Presence for granted. And let me never relate to You as though You stand at a distance.

From the book