The Presence of the Lord

The first time I ever felt the Lord pulling on my heart was on a church retreat in the 3rd grade. I had been following Jesus for a long time, but for some reason that night, when they made the altar call, I lost it. Everybody thought I was crazy because I couldn’t stop crying, but I had been overwhelmed by the spirit of the Lord! I felt him filling me up and letting his love and peace overflow in my life! Since then, there have been hundreds of times that I could pinpoint the Lord moving my heart, times when I was in the presence of the Lord.

We live in that life-giving presence everyday, but some days it is more evident than others. On the days when I take time for my faith, when I pour into it, I find his presence to be stronger in my life. It is easier to make decisions or be nice to people. It is easier to find joy in the little things and get myself through the day. But, on the days when I am not finding my identity and strength in his presence, I really struggle. I get irritated easily and have no motivation to do anything.

This strength presents itself in our lives in the form of the Holy Spirit, in faith through Christ. Even when we have bad days, that Spirit is still with us. We never lose his Spirit, we cannot make it go away. We all have days when we feel like we are drifting from God, but find peace in knowing he does not push you away. Whenever bad days present themselves, remember that the Lord will never leave you nor forsake you.

The result of abiding in the presence of the Lord is joy! It is so easy to feel gloomy and dejected when you feel like his Spirit is “lacking”, but as you spend more and more time with him, this becomes less of a problem. Yes, there are still bad days, but when you completely envelop yourself in his love, joy become second nature!

And how do you live in this love? It is not as hard as it may seem! Pray, bring him your fears and your sorrows! Praise him from your innermost being! Listen more, be silent and wait on his answers! Read your bible so you can be more in tune to his voice! Even 10 minutes a day can satisfy your thirst for the Lord! When you fill your day with his presence, the burdens of this life fade and joy becomes natural!