STAYING CLOSE TO GOD

I believe this is going to be the year of the presence of God. People are going to, and many people have already begun to hunger and thirst for the presence of God in their lives. God will satisfy these desires with great manifestations and experiences of His presence.

There is one thing we all want, even if we do not realize it yet, and that is to be so close to God that we feel His presence. (Psalms 16:11 NKJV) You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. In God's presence we feel the most awesome pleasure that a person is capable of experiencing. We experience a full amount of joy that fills us to overflowing. It is like being bathed in warm liquid love that fills us from the inside and then overflows and covers our entire being. Nothing on Earth can compare to the joy and pleasure of being in God's presence, once you get a taste nothing else can ever satisfy you. (Psalms 34:8 NLT) Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who trust in him!

The definition of heaven is to be with God, the definition of hell is to be separated from God. The fear of the Lord is not to be afraid of God; it is the fear of being separated from God. (Proverbs 8:13 NKJV) The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate. (Proverbs 14:27 NLT) Fear of the LORD is a life-giving fountain; it offers escape from the snares of death. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil and sin because these separate us from God. (Isaiah 59:1-2 NIV) Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. {2} But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

Just as sin separates us from God, Holiness brings us into God's presence. (Psalms 24:3-6 NLT) Who may climb the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? {4} Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. {5} They will receive the Lord's blessing and have right standing with God their savior. {6} They alone may enter God's presence and worship the God of Israel.

When we first accept Jesus into our heart and accept His forgiveness of our sins, we feel Him cleanse our heart and we feel the freedom of being set free from sin. (James 4:8 NIV) Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Being clean and holy allows us to experience the presence of God. (Matthew 5:8 NKJV) Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.

If we are not always focused on God, and seeking to stay close to Him and in His presence then we can easily fall away by thinking about the things of this world. (1 Chronicles 16:11 KJV) Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. We must continually seek God and His righteousness as our only source of all that we need and want. (Matthew 6:31-33 NIV) So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' {32} For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. {33} But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

When we do get distracted by the cares of this world and find ourselves separated from God by sin, then we call upon Him and confess our sins, and say we are sorry, and He forgives us and makes us righteous again. Then we have access again into His presence and our heart has joy and pleasure again. (1 John 1:9 NIV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Sometimes we also need to ask forgiveness from other people and tell them we are sorry if we have sinned against them and hurt them. (Matthew 5:23-24 NIV) "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, {24} leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

God wants us to demonstrate His love in our hearts to other people. (1 John 3:14 NIV) We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Whatever is not of love is sin. Whatever is love is from God. (Romans 13:10 NLT) Love does no wrong to anyone, so love satisfies all of God's requirements. (1 John 4:12-13 NLT) No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us. {13} And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. The Spirit of God in us is Love, because God is Love. When we feel compassion for each other and act in compassion toward each other that is God in us, that is proof that we live in God and He lives in us. The feeling of being in God's presence is the feeling of love. It is the best that we can ever hope for, long for, and seek after. When we experience the presence of God it is better than anything we have ever dreamed about.

(Psalms 68:3-6 NLT) But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God's presence. Let them be filled with joy. {4} Sing praises to God and to his name! Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. His name is the LORD-- rejoice in his presence! {5} Father to the fatherless, defender of widows-- this is God, whose dwelling is holy. {6} God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.