Christmas Eve: The Gift of His Presence

The Gift of His Presence

Today is Christmas Eve and our Advent gift is the gift of His presence. What a marvelous gift!  His presence surrounds us, envelops us. The Bible says in Psalm 139 that there is nowhere we can go to get away from His presence.

Where can I go from Your Spirit?
         Or where can I flee from Your presence?
 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
         If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

 If I take the wings of the morning,
         And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
  Even there Your hand shall lead me,
         And Your right hand shall hold me. (emphasis mine)

Every step we take, He takes with us. Everywhere we go, everything we do, He is there. He is aware of every breath we take. He knows our thoughts. He sees our tears and hears our laughter. He knows our heart’s desires. He understands our longings and frustrations. He rejoices when we rejoice and He weeps when we weep.

God is omnipresent, and His presence is always with us and yet we continue to long for an encounter with the Presence of God. We need to experience the presence of God, we need to realize His presence.

 “Practice His Presence” authored by LeeAnn Payne, is about exactly what the title says – practicing the presence of God.  One would think, as Christians, we would be aware of His presence and not have to “practice” having Him present. But that is usually not the case. We get so busy – so involved in the task of the moment – that we forget His presence. He is always here with me and with you.

"There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful, than that of a continual conversation with God. Those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it."     ... Brother Lawrence

Abba Father, thank You for the gift of Your presence. Help us to always be aware of Your presence and to walk in it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.