In His Presence
Good Morning,
I was noticing how people react when they are in the presence of God. One’s reaction is an indication of how close one is to Him. Let us look at the Scripture:
Isaiah 6:5 “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."
Job 40:4 “Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.”
vs. 5 “Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.”
Genesis 17:3 “And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,”
Ezekiel 1:28 “And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.”
Matthew 17:6 “And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.”
We could go on and on showing the abhorrence of self, the unwillingness to say anything, or the absolute emptiness of personal opinion. When sinful men enter into the presence of a holy God, they are empty.
Luke 5:8 “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
When we draw near to God, we understand more clearly our own sinfulness, and no one looks at others to compare ourselves among ourselves.
I understand that we are to come boldly to the throne of grace to find help, but I also understand the better the view of God, the more we shut up.
Job had taken time to speak in defense of his deeds, but it was not his deeds that were the trouble, IT WAS HIM. When Job got a good close up experience with God, he shut up. His problem was personal not behavioral. It was who he was, not what he had done.
Job 40:4; Job 40:4 “Behold, I am vile…"
Job 42:5 "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.”
vs. 6 “Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
As long as personal righteousness and “what I deserve” is foremost in our minds, we can be sure that we are not anywhere near the Lord.
When the Gospel is preached with the anointing of God, the lost who hear will most likewise respond in humility.
1 Corinthians 14:25 “And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.”
May we get to know Him better, remembering Micah 6:8, “… walk humbly with thy God.”
Pastor