MAINTAINING THE PRESENCE OF GOD
God attaches a condition to His presence in our lives and it is found in 2 Chronicles 15. In the previous chapter, King Asa had led the armies of Judah to a great victory over Ethiopia's million-man army. Yet Asa testified that it was God's presence that had scattered the enemy.
"Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. . . . So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa" (2 Chronicles 14:11-12).
As Asa and his armies led the triumphant procession back to Jerusalem, a prophet named Azariah met them at the city gate with this message from God: "Hear ye me, Asa . . . The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God. . . . But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them" (15:2-4).
Here is the secret of getting and maintaining the presence of God in your life. The Lord reminded Asa, point-blank, with no holds barred: "Asa, don't ever forget how you got this victory. You sought Me with all your heart when you were in trouble and I sent My presence to you. It was My presence that put your enemies to chase!"
Now Azariah was telling Asa, "Do you remember what the kingdom was like before you came to power? Everything was out of kilter, with no law, no guidance, no righteous teaching. Everyone was a law unto himself, doing his own thing!"
This is not a complicated theology. Anyone can have the abiding presence of the Lord if he or she will simply seek Him for it.
"[The Lord] will be found of you" (15:2). The Hebrew word for found here is matsa, meaning "His presence coming forth to enable, to bless." In short, this verse tells us, "Seek the Lord with your whole heart, and He will come to you with His presence. Indeed, His presence will be an almighty power that emanates from your life!"
"Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. . . . So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa" (2 Chronicles 14:11-12).
As Asa and his armies led the triumphant procession back to Jerusalem, a prophet named Azariah met them at the city gate with this message from God: "Hear ye me, Asa . . . The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God. . . . But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them" (15:2-4).
Here is the secret of getting and maintaining the presence of God in your life. The Lord reminded Asa, point-blank, with no holds barred: "Asa, don't ever forget how you got this victory. You sought Me with all your heart when you were in trouble and I sent My presence to you. It was My presence that put your enemies to chase!"
Now Azariah was telling Asa, "Do you remember what the kingdom was like before you came to power? Everything was out of kilter, with no law, no guidance, no righteous teaching. Everyone was a law unto himself, doing his own thing!"
This is not a complicated theology. Anyone can have the abiding presence of the Lord if he or she will simply seek Him for it.
"[The Lord] will be found of you" (15:2). The Hebrew word for found here is matsa, meaning "His presence coming forth to enable, to bless." In short, this verse tells us, "Seek the Lord with your whole heart, and He will come to you with His presence. Indeed, His presence will be an almighty power that emanates from your life!"