In His Presence…

Longing Retreat Assignment
1/11/2012 5:37:20 PM

Nouwen writes, “If there is any focus that the Christian leader of the future will need, it is the discipline of dwelling the presence of the one who keeps asking us.”Do you love me? Do you love me?” Remember the question the teacher of the law asks Jesus?

Mt 22:36-38
Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment.
NASB

Do you love me? Yes Lord I love you with all my heart. Do you love me? Yes, Lord I love you with all my soul. Do you love me? Yes, Lord I love you with all my mind. I love you with all that I am. I can write these words and I can say these words, but love is more the speaking of sweet words or writing letters on a page. Love is not just saying, rather, love is doing.

In human relationships the closest of all the bond of love that exist between a husband and wife. In fact, Ephesians 5 likens the love relationship of a husband and wife to that of the love relationship that exist between Christ and His church. I love being in the presence of my wife. Why? Simply because I love her. I love her face, the sound of her voice, her laugh, the sound of breathing at night as she sleeps. I find rest there in her presence and I find peace. I find acceptance and love. When we love someone we want to be around them because of who they are. And being in the presence of the one we love effects our lives in all kinds of ways.

We remember this first and greatest commandment was first given to Moses and then to us. Moses was one who loved God, had a passion for God, and one who experienced and continually sought the presence of God in his life. We all remember the story in Exodus 33 where Moses would enter into the tent and the pillar of the cloud would descend and fill the tent with Moses present in. Think of it a tent filled with the cloud of His presence, you are standing it (His presence), walking in it (His presence), and breathing the cloud (His presence) into your very lungs. Moses was covered by the pillar of the cloud, the very glory of God. God spoke to Moses as a friend would speak to a friend. An intimate, loving friendship and fellowship beyond what we can imagine. He would walk away literally glowing from the encounter and the glow would last for a while. When he came out of the tent…they knew that Moses had been with God. Gods glory was all over Him.

Do others see this passion and love for Jesus in us? Does our life reflect the fact we have been in His presence? Do they sense or see any of the glory of God in our lives? Friends, we must stand before God before we stand before men. We must spend time in the presence of a loving Father and experience His presence and power in our own lives, before we can stand before men and declare His love, His presence, and power. We must experience intimacy with God, before we can teach others of what it means to have a loving, intimate relationship with God.

Just as the people stood, and stared at the tent of the meeting, watching the pillar of the cloud descend and fill the tent with Moses in it. God and man communing together, face to face, heart to heart, love to love. If we would lead our people, they must see in our lives this Holy passion that only being in His presence births in our hearts. They must see the fresh glow of His loving presence on our faces.