The Glory of His Presence - Psalms 29-30 and Acts 23:1-15
David had experienced the glory of the Lord. We can tell by his psalms and by the stories of his life. He knew what it was like to stand in His presence and be overwhelmed by the power and majesty of His Person. Even though we can't see the Father, because He does not have a physical body, we experience His glory when we come into His presence. This should happen each time we enter a time of worship. Worship is not about us, but about Him. Worship is telling God how worthy He is, and when we do that God reveals His glory to us. It is a powerful and moving event. We leave changed, whenever we encounter the glory of God's presence. Psalm 29 was written with this experience in mind. Then, Psalm 30 reveals another aspect of God's glory. There are times when God comes to us. He may come to convict us of sin and correct us. He may cause us to cry, but later, there is joy, because we are made right with Him. At other times, He comes to turn our mourning into dancing. He comes to lift us up. David had experienced God's presence in this way, too. He had known those times when he could not keep from singing praises and giving Him thanks. When was the last time you experienced the glory of the Lord's presence? Did it happen when you went to worship with others, or did it happen when He came to you personally? If it has been too long since the last time, your life is in serious need of the glory of His presence. We were not designed to live without the presence of the Lord in our lives.
Think about all that Paul had been through in Acts 22 and 23. We might call it a near death experience, or at least, it was a very stressful and uncertain time for him. What did Jesus know that Paul needed? He needed the glory of His presence. Paul could not go to the Temple or to a worship service with other believers, since he was in custody. Therefore, Jesus appeared to Paul. What did He say? He spoke words of comfort and purpose. Is it possible to be of good cheer in jail? Of course; we can experience joy no matter what happens to us. The presence of Jesus with us causes that to happen. What a comfort to know that our lives have purpose and that He is watching over us. That comes from the glory of His presence. It may not be a physical presence like it was for Paul, but He comes to us in a very real way to reveal Himself to us. Then, we are overwhelmed by His glory, and it changes our lives. Jesus wants to come to you today. He wants to have close fellowship with you. Slow down and focus on Him. Tomorrow, is the Lord's Day. He wants to commune with you then, too. We all need the glory of His presence.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 31-32 and Acts 23:16-35.
Think about all that Paul had been through in Acts 22 and 23. We might call it a near death experience, or at least, it was a very stressful and uncertain time for him. What did Jesus know that Paul needed? He needed the glory of His presence. Paul could not go to the Temple or to a worship service with other believers, since he was in custody. Therefore, Jesus appeared to Paul. What did He say? He spoke words of comfort and purpose. Is it possible to be of good cheer in jail? Of course; we can experience joy no matter what happens to us. The presence of Jesus with us causes that to happen. What a comfort to know that our lives have purpose and that He is watching over us. That comes from the glory of His presence. It may not be a physical presence like it was for Paul, but He comes to us in a very real way to reveal Himself to us. Then, we are overwhelmed by His glory, and it changes our lives. Jesus wants to come to you today. He wants to have close fellowship with you. Slow down and focus on Him. Tomorrow, is the Lord's Day. He wants to commune with you then, too. We all need the glory of His presence.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 31-32 and Acts 23:16-35.