Saturday, May 24, 2014

Blessings Thorugh His Presence



Today’s Bible readings are 2 Samuel 4:1-6:23, John 13:31-14:14, Psalm 119:17-32, & Proverbs 15:31-32


2 Samuel 6:10-11
10 He was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 11 The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household.

The Ark of the Lord was the place that God’s presence dwelt. It was a physical thing that the people carried with them when they traveled through the desert. In it was the presence of God Almighty. The Ark ensured them victory, as God’s presence was among them.

Over the years the presence of the Lord protected them. The people of Israel guarded the Ark of the Lord. It was the sign to the rest the nations that God was with Israel. It was what gave boldness & hope to the people of God. It was proof to them that they were not alone. It signified to them that God was with them & doing battle for them.             

Here we see the Ark being taken to the house of Obed-Edom. We also see that as a result of the presence of God being in his house he became blessed. It wasn’t only him who was blessed either, BUT HIS WHOLE HOUSEHOLD.

God’s presence is no longer carried the Ark that it was carried in at this time. His presence in now carried in each of His believers.

 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

We are carriers of God’s presence. This means that everyone in our household will be blessed too. They are blessed by God presence in our lives! It is because of His presence that we can give them:

1.      Love


2.      Hope


3.      Faith



4.      Encouragement


The presence of God was a very real thing to His people. It was something that they could experience. They knew He was present. They could sense Him. His power was real to them. His presence was important to them.

We have to be people who covet the presence of God. We must guard it in our families. There are many things that will try to crowd out the presence of God. We cannot fall for this. His presence is what leads to His blessing. Remember, it is not just your blessing but the blessing of all in your household as a result of His presence.

Let’s be people who value His presence. Let’s live our lives as if God was right beside us. Let our conversations be conversations that will bring Him honor. Don’t say or do anything that you wouldn’t do right in front of Jesus. Remember, in reality He is with you. You are a carrier of His presence.

Pastor Richard Schlotter



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