CAN YOU SENSE THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD?

SCRIPTURE:
You have made known to me the path of life; 
You will fill me with joy in Your presence, 
with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.  
(Psalm 16:11)

MEDITATION:
Do you ever feel like you 
are just wandering through life looking for a purpose and direction?
When it preoccupies your mind, it can steal your joy, can’t it?
It doesn’t mean you don’t have happy times, 
but when you are alone or down emotionally the uncertainty can return.
You can reach a point where you wonder if you can find pleasure in living.

If this describes you, the scriptures contain good news!
God can show you the path of life charted especially for you.
He also can fill you with joy when you sense His presence.
You can find pleasure 
in just knowing that He is nearby to guide and encourage you.

The Psalmist found this out for himself and shares it with us in God’s Word.
He seems to imply that our need for God Himself 
is greater than our need for His promises.
We all want health, wealth, knowledge, a better job, a better place to live, etc.
God may allow us to have some or all of these things, 
but to really enjoy them, we need to feel His presence with us.

There is an undeniable calmness, peace and joy 
whenever we sense His presence with us.
That’s how God is, right?
He knows our desires, our problems, our frustrations and our emotions.
Consequently He also knows our needs.

He knows exactly how to bring clarity to our confusion.
He knows how to bring calmness to our anxieties.
He knows how to bring joy to our sadness.
He knows how to bring direction to our wandering.
He knows how to bring purpose to an unfulfilling life.
Whenever we have issues of any kind, 
we need to think about God’s presence instead of His presents.

ACTION:
Are you still searching for your purpose for living?
If so, then seek out the Lord.
If you have not committed your life to Him, 
then find someone who can explain what is required for salvation.

Once you are one of His adopted children, 
you can draw closer to Him and sense His presence in your life.
You accomplish this through prayer, reading His Word, obedience, 
worshipping Him with other believers, and serving Him 
in whatever capacity He has chosen specifically for you.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I want to feel Your presence in my life. My desire 
is to draw closer to You and distance myself from worldly pleasures. 
I know that when You are near me, my life will have a new direction 
and purpose. I know that You can give me what the world fails to 
provide. I need Your help to remove the things in my life that hinder 
my closeness with You. I know that You have many blessings for me, 
but the greatest blessing of all is sensing Your presence in my life.”