Seeking the Presence of God
And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. (Mark 13:26)
Clouds are symbolic of the presence of God. Sometimes, when things are so clouded that you cannot see, that is exactly where God is. Clouds are symbolic of His presence.
When Moses was dealing with the children of Israel in the wilderness, he experienced the Cloud of God's presence on Mount Sinai. Often in Scripture, we see it mentioned that where God is, there is a cloud that envelops His presence.
Also, Simon Peter was on the Mount of Transfiguration when Jesus was transfigured. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared. As Simon Peter was talking about a building program for the three of them, the voice from a cloud interrupted him and told him to be quiet and focus on Jesus. After that happened, Moses and Elijah disappeared and all he saw was Jesus. In Acts Chapter One, we see Jesus ascending into heaven on a cloud. The angel said, He is coming back the very same way, on a cloud.
It is often in the “cloudy” times of life when we seek and sense God’s presence. This is exactly what we should do. Instead of begging for relief or always wanting a change, may we draw near to the Lord, knowing that His presence alone is enough. I pray that when you go through difficult times in your life, that you would not always look for the quick answer. Look for the presence of God in the midst.
In my personal life, I have grown more spiritually in difficult times than in easy times. Is that true for you, too? When things are going well, you are praising Jesus and you are smiling. You are not really seeking Him because you don't think it is necessary.
In reality, we should be seeking Him in the good times, as well as in the bad times. However, the bad times cause us to cry out, “Oh, God, help.” If we could just live there all the time, rather than waiting for a disaster to hit before we seek Him, we would be much better served. In practice, we need to seek His presence and focus on knowing Him more than anything else.
Clouds are symbolic of the presence of God. Sometimes, when things are so clouded that you cannot see, that is exactly where God is. Clouds are symbolic of His presence.
When Moses was dealing with the children of Israel in the wilderness, he experienced the Cloud of God's presence on Mount Sinai. Often in Scripture, we see it mentioned that where God is, there is a cloud that envelops His presence.
Also, Simon Peter was on the Mount of Transfiguration when Jesus was transfigured. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared. As Simon Peter was talking about a building program for the three of them, the voice from a cloud interrupted him and told him to be quiet and focus on Jesus. After that happened, Moses and Elijah disappeared and all he saw was Jesus. In Acts Chapter One, we see Jesus ascending into heaven on a cloud. The angel said, He is coming back the very same way, on a cloud.
It is often in the “cloudy” times of life when we seek and sense God’s presence. This is exactly what we should do. Instead of begging for relief or always wanting a change, may we draw near to the Lord, knowing that His presence alone is enough. I pray that when you go through difficult times in your life, that you would not always look for the quick answer. Look for the presence of God in the midst.
In my personal life, I have grown more spiritually in difficult times than in easy times. Is that true for you, too? When things are going well, you are praising Jesus and you are smiling. You are not really seeking Him because you don't think it is necessary.
In reality, we should be seeking Him in the good times, as well as in the bad times. However, the bad times cause us to cry out, “Oh, God, help.” If we could just live there all the time, rather than waiting for a disaster to hit before we seek Him, we would be much better served. In practice, we need to seek His presence and focus on knowing Him more than anything else.
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Finding Godly MentorsYes and No in ScriptureFocus Like an ArcherSeeking the Presence of GodA Defining EncounterOnly by GraceOvercoming ExhaustionExcited and Expectant over PrayerThe Five Parts of PrayerThe Still Small VoiceThe Lord’s Amazing PowerHandling PersecutionDiving into God’s WordReceiving EncouragementA Desire To ServeGiving and ServingA Thrill RideThe Sweet Voice of GodGet off the BenchOut of AlignmentFrustration Is InevitableListening Instead of TalkingWatch God MoveWalking in the LightKnown by Your FruitThe Good ShepherdBoldly Stand for ChristHonor the LordPraying in FaithDealing with DoubtLearning To Be Alone
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4 Comments
May I seek my Heavenly Father always
Father God, Thank you for your peace.
I Thank God that I have learned how very much I need The Lord every Morning to start my day and All Day long. PRAISE JESUS for his sacrifice. Thank YOU FATHER !
Amen! this reading hits home to me. i got to do much better. Moving forward, I will make it a daily habit to seek God presence through the good times and bad times .