JESUS’ PRESENCE

I hope you have had a rewarding week seeing the face of Jesus in others, even when dealing with difficult people. Last week’s reflection, “The Face of Jesus,” provided a nice segue to this week’s topic, Jesus’ presence, with me asking you the following.

 

 

 

It was the ripple effect of God’s goodness. I listened to a sermon online from a local church. The deacon’s message gave me knowledge about something I had not considered before, and I was able to relate to similar experiences he shared. It prompted me to text the deacon to let him know I appreciated his message. He responded by thanking me for sharing and said, “The next time we see each other, I will share with you a personal encounter I had with Jesus a few weeks ago.” I smiled with excitement and wonder. I was happy I only had to wait a day before we met.

The deacon was cutting and stacking wood while listening to music with his headphones on. The Phantom of the Opera came on, specifically the song, “All I Ask of You.” In God-like fashion, for some reason, only the first two stanzas played. Though the song is a love song between two people, the lyrics are a perfect parallel with reflecting on Jesus’ love for each one of us personally.

Read these words, hearing Jesus speaking them directly to you…

No more talk of darkness,
Forget these wide-eyed fears;
I’m here, nothing can harm you,
My words will warm and calm you.

Let me be your freedom,
Let daylight dry your tears;
I’m here, with you, beside you,
To guard you and to guide you.

 

As soon as the deacon heard that first line, he stopped stacking the wood, stood still, and was immediately immersed in Jesus’ presence! He felt Jesus surround him, even embrace him, in pure unconditional love as he soaked up the few moments of the special encounter.

 

The lyrics reveal the truth that with Jesus…

…there is no darkness.

…we need not fear.

…nothing can harm us.

…we have His words that comfort and calm us.

 

…we are free.

…our tears are dried.

…we are never alone as He is always beside us.

…we have Him to guard and guide our path.

 

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  –Psalm 23:4  (NIV)

Even in the darkest valley, the light of Jesus can be found. Because of Jesus, we should fear no evil, as nothing can truly harm us. Nothing separates us from the love of God and the victory we have in Jesus. God’s Word brings us comfort, knowing He is in control.

 

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  –Deuteronomy 31:8  (NIV) 

What comfort we have in knowing God not only goes before us but is always with us. We have freedom because we know He never abandons us and is always guiding us. Sometimes we need to fight our feelings of being forsaken, standing on God’s Word.

 

Photo courtesy of Richard Harris under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

 

As the deacon was reading the lyrics to me, I was surprised when he said MY name was in the lyrics! (I actually thought he inserted it in the lyrics.)  When I heard that and read the lyrics he had printed out for me, I was touched even more. What are the chances this deacon was sharing this with me, only the second person he told, and my name is Christine? Tears started streaming down my face when he played the first two stanzas of the song on his phone. I closed my eyes, envisioning Jesus speaking directly to me as I was reassured of His presence in my life.

 

The stanza with my name is…

Then say you’ll share with me one love, one lifetime;
Let me lead you from your solitude.
Say you need me with you, here beside you,
Anywhere you go, let me go too,
Christine, that’s all I ask of you.

Take a moment to reread that last stanza, inserting your name instead of “Christine.”

As I read that stanza, I thought about Jesus in my life and how the lyrics apply to me personally, and in reality, to all of us.

 

Jesus wants…

…us to love Him completely.

…our love for Him to last our entire lives.

…to lead us from solitude to the fullness of life.

 

…us to rely completely on Him.

…us to know He is always beside us.

…to accompany us everywhere.

 

Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” –Matthew 22:37  (NIV)

And to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  –Ephesians 3:19  (ESV)

We learn that our first priority in life is to love God with all that we have–all our heart, soul, and mind. Loving God above all else throughout our life is the greatest vocation we have. We experience the fullness of life when we experience Jesus’ great love for us.

 

We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.  –2 Corinthians 1:8-10  (NLT)

Paul shares the hardships they endured and how they realized when they put their total trust in God and not on themselves, they were rescued. What a great comfort to know that we can completely rely on God, that He is always beside and with us everywhere we go. Our God, Abba, is always with us through all we endure. He works everything out for our good.

 

 

 

May you be encouraged this week to…

…leave fear behind, knowing nothing can harm you with God on your side.

…be free, knowing God is walking with you, guiding your path.

…spend your life loving God and knowing He is always with you.

…see what opportunities arise for you to experience Jesus’ presence.

…share your experience of Jesus with others.

 

We just never know when Jesus’ presence will present itself in our lives, do we?

 

Please take a moment to share a time you experienced Jesus' presence in a special encounter in the comment section below.

 

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.  –Deuteronomy 7:9  (NIV)