The Presence of God

To most Christians, their “Quiet Time” or “Private Devotions” are, indeed, private and personal. I don’t suppose that I am any different in that regard but, every so often, something comes out of that special time with the Lord that I reckon is worth sharing!
Most days, I have to have my devotions with one eye on the clock. Saturday is the wonderful exception, as it is only occasionally that I have to leave the house by a specific time. It was as I sat at my desk, thanking Father God for the wonderful life with which He has blessed me, that I said something like: “Lord, I want this to be really special. I don’t have to watch my time, and what I want is to have such a real experience of Your Presence that it’s almost as if You have walked through the doorway, and sat down beside me. And I want You to just point out things, in Your Word, and explain what I don’t understand. I want to be like those disciples on the road to Emmaus (see Luke 24:13ff, if you don’t know the story) who were accompanied by the risen Lord Jesus, Who “... took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” (v.27)
I am privileged to have a fairly good little library of theological books, and I am grateful for the insights that I have gained from the writings of men, and women, of God who have a much deeper relationship with the Lord than I do. But I recall a statement from a book that I read in my undergraduate days. It was a commentary on one of the works of the English Bard, William Shakespeare, and the author made a profound statement along the lines of “It’s the book that matters, not the commentary thereon”. If I was studying one of Shakespeare’s plays, how wonderful it would be to have the man himself seated at my side, telling me exactly what was in his mind when he wrote a particular passage!
That is the immeasurable privilege of anyone who comes to the written Word of God, with a sincere desire to discover what it has to say to them, as individuals. The Author is always available, to guide and direct our thinking; willing to open that Word to our understanding; eager to share with us what is in His mind. It’s the answer to the request of the Psalmist: “Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in Your instructions” (119:18)
The accompanying thought that has been with me for most of this week, is that it is not just having a head-knowledge of God that makes the difference in life. It is “knowing” Him (see Philippians 3:10). And that, in Biblical terms, involves a deep and intimate experience that is akin to the sexual relationship between husband and wife. It’s a mind-blowing thought, that a sinful mortal like me may, by His grace, have such a knowledge of, and relationship with, the sinless Creator of all that is. I trust that such is your experience also – through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus, at Calvary.