presence

Presence

By Keiko Chibana-Shinn | Rediscovering Prayer

The result of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever… Is. 32:17

Jesus is the stability of our times. It’s a tumultuous age where confusion and uncertainty absorb the possibility of youthful joy and much needed peace. It’s easy to keep God at an arm’s length. The reality of it is that the only thing that separates us from God is our own decision to do so. He is in our midst and however hard we try to create distance, His love awaits us. Jesus knocks at the door of our hearts at every step, at every turn, and in every season of our lives. It takes one Word from God to transform our trajectory in this life and for the one to come.

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. Jn. 6:3

We sometimes rather choose hunger over submission. We choose our pride and remain in our human strength rather than call upon the name of Jesus to fully intervene in our everyday struggles. Human nature, in its fallen state, has the tendency to stay in the comfort of one’s limitations. It’s easier to settle than to believe for more. But Jesus is our life. He came to set us free from the restrictions we place on faith, hope, and love. He came to restore us from the unhealthy fears. The Word of the Lord says to us:

“For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the Lord Almighty is his name. I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand— I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’” Is. 51:16

God, our Father dedicates His Word to us- His children. Whether we accept it or not, the very words that flow from His mouth breathe out our existence. To abide in Jesus is to receive His Word as the supreme resource for our lives against every work of depravity and of the devil’s schemes. Jesus invites us into a deeper encounter of the freedom He provides. A powerful, lasting exchange will happen today. May a transfer of fear occur in our hearts and minds. Lay the fear of life’s demands at the feet of Jesus and receive in exchange a healthy fear of the reality of God’s power, presence, and love to fill your soul. If we receive a healthy fear of God, we shall lack no good thing. Too many of us feel the burden of life and even see ourselves as the burden. You are not the burden. Sin is our burden but that’s why Jesus came into our lives. He came to release the burden off of you. The burden is broken off your name, your identity, your past, present, and future. You are God’s beloved child. He delights in all of who you are.

The Lord has rescued you and will continue to deliver you. Remain in Him and keep your hope alive through a vibrant relationship with the true lover of your soul. Nothing will separate you from His grasp, His love. Ask for a healthy fear to overflow so the distractions, excuses, and the distance between would be fully dismissed. Gladness and joy will overtake you, the sorrow and sighing will be done away with as you embrace a stance of worship, thanking Jesus for the revelation of His presence protecting your heart and your life.

Jesus not only breaks the yolk of unhealthy fear but adorns you with the mantle of His righteousness. This mantle is tailor-made for you, to carry yourself with confidence and with the assurance that your Father loves you without end. A healthy reverence toward the character and presence of God builds confidence in your identity as a child of God through the working of His Spirit within you:

…My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. Though hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely, how blessed you will be, sowing your seed by every stream… Is. 32: 18-20

The presence of Jesus is our home. We share in His resurrection to fulfill a life worth living. We take and eat from Him, we take and drink from Him. It is through His divine power, He has given us everything we need for life. Staying close to Jesus even in times of peril and in loss, God shelters us in the potency of His presence that will move us forward in the ministry and victory of reconciliation. Everywhere our feet tread is to the glory of Christ that we may be His ambassadors to proclaim the favor and the goodness of our God. Jesus, may your presence come in new waves of resurrection power through your children, today.

Prayer: Lord, we are your hands and feet. Your eternal soul, your perfect will, and your holy character breathes life into the Body of believers. There is none like You, Lord. Let us come into your presence and take from your fountain… may we be emboldened to receive all that you freely give, that we may dedicate our lives to you with the light you impart to us. Your love casts out the fear and we receive a new and holy fear that sets us free to live fuller days in joy and peace in your presence. Amen.

Additional verses: Lk. 17:21; Matt. 26:26-27; Jer. 15:16; Rev. 3:20; Jn. 6:63; Jn. 15:7; Is. 51:12; Col.2:15; Gen. 1; 2 Cor. 1:10; Ps. 36:9; Ps. 34:9; Col. 3:4; 2 Pe.1:3; Ps. 149:4; Is. 61:1; Is. 51:11; 2 Cor. 5:19-20; Ro. 6:5; Jn. 14:23; 1 Jn. 4:18

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