Responding to the Presence of God

“And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. “ Genesis 3:8

When Adam and Eve fell in the garden, they ran and hid themselves from the presence of God. Unfortunately, man has been running ever since. The sad part - it’s not just the lost but the church that is running from God. We have forgotten the joy that comes from His presence. We have forgotten the strength that comes when He abides with us. We have forgotten who God is and are content to experience man rather than God. We must remember Psalm 16:11, “…In Your presence is fullness of joy…”

How will we respond?

1) Running from God’s Presence (3:8)

This is what sin does in our lives. Rather than falling upon God for mercy we run from Him in shame. When we fall, or when we misunderstand the word of God {as Eve did} we will continue to hide ourselves from His presence. You won’t run to a God you are not sure about.

2) Refusing God’s Presence (Ex. 20:18-21)

“Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, ‘You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.’ And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.’ So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.” Exodus 20:18-21

Oswald Chambers, “We show how little love we have for God by preferring to listen to His servants rather than to Him.” I’m afraid that we have become addicted to the anointing, the relayed Word of good-preaching and teaching. Too many of us have become “milk babies” who want to sit in padded seats in an air-conditioned and climate-controlled building where someone else will pre-digest what God has to say and then regurgitate it back to us in a half-digested form. Ask yourself these questions: Do you prefer preaching of the word over reading the word? Reading about God through books rather than reading His Word about Himself?

Israel chose distant respect over intimate relationship. They refused to change who they were to be where God was. They chose the “safety” of the mountain base over the intimacy of the mountain top. Religion will keep you standing afar rather than entering in where God is.

3) Requesting God’s Presence (Ex. 33:14-15)

“And He [GOD] said, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’ Then he [Moses] said to Him, ‘If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.’” Exodus 33:14-15

You have to see the priority that Moses placed upon the presence of God. Moses went from wanting the presence of God to seeing the face of God.

You have a choice to make:
a) You will grow into a relationship with Him no matter the cost
b) You will turn back to where you came from

If we turn from His presence we will become a program-driven, meeting-going, organizing, committee-run church people, doing all the “good” things “good people” are supposed to do. And we will miss out on the dwelling of God.