Proverbs 3:6 says that we should acknowledge God in all our ways. He is not just somewhere outside and only comes when we ask Him. If God lives in us and we are in Him, then why do we separate Him from our everyday life?
In the Bible, you can find many verses that assure us of God’s Presence. And Psalm 23 is without exception.
Psalm 23 is a prophetic book for this year, and we should pay attention to what God is saying to us.
You may know this book by heart, but I urge you to allow God to speak to you in a different way. I pray that the LORD will open for you His good storehouse this season!
Psalm 23:1 is the Promise of the Presence of God in our Lives!
If you have ever studied how sheep operate, then you have noticed that they usually follow their leader blindly. Even if it is not a great decision, they still go where their leader goes. And if he falls in a ditch – they fall with him. Go Figure!
God mentioned sheep in His word over and over again. And He compares us to sheep!
As you know, sheep cannot thrive without the presence of their shepherd. They need to be led, fed, and protected.
But unlike sheep, we humans can choose what we want. We can go where we want to go and do what we want.
Life is short. Don’t do the same thing everyone else is doing – that’s such a herd mentality. And don’t do something that’s two percent better than the other person. Do something that changes the world!
Oren Etzioni
Yet, as believers of Christ, God expects us to live like sheep in this world. We need to follow God blindly every single day of our lives.
Okay, this does not mean that we live robotic lives. But God wants us to trust and follow His will for our lives even when we don’t understand. He wants us to thrive; it is only in His presence that we can win.
What is the Presence of God?
God is everywhere. We can never hide from Him. The Psalmist says that even darkness doesn’t limit God from seeing us. There is no difference between darkness and light with God.
But there is more to the presence of God than Him just being everywhere.
God is personal, and so He wants all of us to enjoy Him personally. To be aware of His presence in our lives and enjoy being with Him just like we do with friends and family.
Our heavenly Father wants a deeper relationship with us. One that dates back to the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve could hear Him walking in the garden in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8). And they could commune with Him.
Why is the Promise of the Presence of God so Important?
1. God’s Presence Separates Us from Others
In Exodus 33:15-16, Moses tells God not to bring them to the promised land if His presence isn’t with them.
Meaning the presence of God was more vital than the promised land itself.
It is God’s presence that made other nations know that Israel was different from them and the God they served was not like the gods of other nations. They knew that Israelites were special people.
Wouldn’t it be so wonderful that people could see God’s presence in our lives too?
Walking with God will enable us to act, talk and live differently. His presence will cause us to live separate lives.
2. God’s Presence Is a Clear Sign of His Grace
We cannot be faithful Christians without the grace of God.
To enjoy God’s great blessings, we need to know God and know His everlasting presence in our lives. We need God’s grace to empower us in every area of our lives.
God’s presence is a clear sign that we have found grace in God’s sight.
3. God’s Presence Reminds us that God is a Personal Shepherd
It is good to belong to a community. But even then, all of us have individual needs.
God has placed things in each of us that makes us different from others. It is these traits that make us stand out and shine individually.
This means that as sheep, God meets our needs as the body of Christ and as individuals. That is why He wants us to be aware of His presence in the entire universe and our personal lives.
We (Christians) are always in the presence of God. There is never a non-sacred moment! His presence never diminishes. Our awareness of His presence may falter, but the reality of His presence never changes.
Max Lucado
The parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son show us how God relates to us personally, even when we mess up. God cares for each person in the world.
He has good plans for all of us. That is why Jesus died, not just for Christians or a certain group of people but all of us, including those who have not given their lives to Christ.
God is Doing Something Brand New – article
Never undermine yourself, and think God loves others more than you and that you don’t deserve His love and grace. God loves you so much and cares about everything that concerns you.
4. Because of God’s Presence, We don’t have to Figure Out Life by Ourselves
Psalm 23:1 reminds us that since we have a good shepherd that loves us so much, we should not try to figure things out alone. God is our ever-present help.
Jesus is active in our lives whether we feel it or not. He’s always ready to help us when we are stuck. All we need to do is ask Him for help no matter where we are. You don’t need to look for a church or go to your prayer closet when you urgently need an answer from God.
God Always Leads You in Victory
You can talk to Him in the shower, as you drive, in the office, or at a restaurant. He listens and would love to speak with you throughout the day.
5. God’s Presence Makes us Feel Safe
Living life knowing that the maker of heaven and earth is with you will give you a great sense of confidence and safety.
David being a shepherd himself, understood the lengths he could go to defend his father’s sheep. He killed the lion and bear; how much more our good shepherd Jesus Christ?
In 2023 God will openly protect and shield us from the enemy’s attacks. He will defend us and show us how to avoid hidden dangers. God will also overturn demonic counsel the enemy has been using to fight His children.
God will show Himself strong for the bride of Christ.
6. God’s Presence Enables us to Know His Ways
One of the definitions of the word shepherd is teacher, which means that the Lord is our teacher. By building an intimate relationship with Jesus and allowing Him to lead us, we open doors for Him to teach us different things about life.
We don’t know everything in this world. It’s only God, our creator, who does. So it is only Him who can teach us not just about Himself but about ourselves and others. Through the Holy Spirit, God will teach us His word and how to apply the word in our lives.
In the Bible, the people who allowed God to shepherd them became successful.
God Will Crown the Year with a Harvest – article
Chances are we would have never known Abraham, Joseph, Daniel, Esther, Ruth, Peter, and Paul if they had not allowed God to be their Shepherd. We also see that those who did not obey did not succeed. Any form of success they had was temporary.
To thrive as kingdom children, we need to make Jesus our all in all.
We need to build intimacy with Jesus to a level that we can’t go anywhere without Him or do anything He has not told us to do. Jesus should complete us in every area of our lives. We shouldn’t depend on ourselves and others for fulfillment because we have a Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.