"This invitation to be God's treasured people is still open to us today. He is coming to us with His presence and is speaking to us. Do you hear His voice calling to you?" Kathy Spampinato

The Bible talks about the awesome and holy presence of God.

Psalm 95: 1-3, 6-8a ESV "Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts,"

This scripture tells us so much! First of all, that God is worthy to be praised. We are to sing to Him, and bless His name. Just being in God's presence causes worship to spring forth. We bow down and kneel because we instantly understand how awesome God is. We bow down in recognition of His greatness, and how far above us He is. Our thankful hearts will bring us into His presence with reverence. We enter into His presence with thanksgiving.

We're told that we are His flock. Sheep are not especially wise animals, and they need a shepherd to lead and guide them; to keep them safe and healthy. Left on their own, sheep get entangled in all sorts of trouble, and can actually fall over and not be able to get up on their own. We need God to watch over us and lift us back up, putting our feet on solid ground. Without God's help, we are vulnerable and foolish. It is God's love that wants to protect and guide us. The other advice given is that we are to be careful not to harden our hearts. He will speak to us, and we need to heed His advice. We can hear God's voice. If we're paying close attention when God speaks, we will recognize His presence and give attention to His words.

In Exodus, Moses was the leader as God led the people of Israel in a great deliverance: out of Egypt and towards the promised land.

Exodus 19: 2b- ESV There Israel encamped before the mountain, while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 'You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel."

Exodus 19:9a And the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever."

This invitation to be God's treasured people is still open to us today. He is coming to us with His presence and is speaking to us. Do you hear His voice calling to you? Do you recognize His holy presence?

I have felt God's presence with me in services and in my private prayer time. It is hard to express what this feels like, and how I recognize Him with me. Of course we know that God is omnipresent, meaning He is always with us. The Bible comforts us with the fact that God will never leave us or forsake us. However, there is also a manifest presence of God. I explain it as the time when God chooses to concentrate His presence in a more focused way, so we are able to perceive Him in a greater measure. There is a knowing that I have come to recognize as God's presence. These special times are precious and leave us completely aware of how big our God is, and how small we are.

I have had a couple of times in God's presence that were so intense that I was forever changed: where I was so impacted by The Presence that I was immediately humbled and repentant of my sinfulness. I was so awed by God with me, that I could not speak or sing in the way I normally do in worship. Tears sprang up and flowed down my face and I whispered "Holy, Holy is the Lord," and "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain." Words of worship flowed out of my heart as His presence demonstrated who He is. When this happens, our response to the presence of God is worship. God is holy, and we are so aware that we are not. There is no question of arrogance or pride.

Isaiah 55:8 - 12a "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as far as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher that your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace;"

Let's decide today to be those who seek the presence of God: who seek His face. He is the great God, and He is seeking us, His people.

Jeremiah 29: 12-14 "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the places where i have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile."