Walking in the Presence of the Lord

 

Walking in the Presence of the Lord

Scripture

Ezekiel 38:23 (NLT)

“In this way, I will show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known to all the nations of the world. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Luke 11:27–28 (NLT)

As he was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out, “God bless your mother—the womb from which you came, and the breasts that nursed you!”

Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”

Psalm 84:11 (NLT)

For the Lord God is our sun and our shield.

He gives us grace and glory.

The Lord will withhold no good thing

from those who do what is right.

Walking in the Presence of the Lord

Here we are—the first day of September.

A brand-new month is stretching out before us, and if you're anything like me, you may wonder what it will bring. Some of us enter a new month with excitement and plans. Others enter carrying worries from the month before. There may be bills to pay, health concerns, family struggles, unanswered prayers, or simply the uncertainty of not knowing what tomorrow holds.

Ross and I have certainly learned that life can change quickly. Sometimes you think you know what the road ahead looks like, and then suddenly you find yourself walking through a season you never expected.

But this is what I love about God: we may not know what lies ahead, but we know Who walks ahead of us.

These three Scriptures remind us of something beautiful. God makes Himself known to us. He asks us to listen and obey Him. And as we walk with Him, He becomes our light and our protection.

That sounds like a pretty good way to begin a new month, doesn't it?

God Wants to Be Known

In Ezekiel 38:23, God says:

“I will show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known...”

Think about that for a moment.

The Creator of the universe wants to make Himself known.

Sometimes we can picture God as distant—somewhere far away, watching the world spin. But throughout Scripture, we see a God who continually reveals Himself to His people. He speaks. He guides. He comforts. He corrects. He shows up in ways we sometimes recognize immediately and other times only understand when we look back.

The Hebrew word often associated with knowing God is yada, which means more than simply knowing facts about someone. It speaks of knowing through relationship and experience.

There is a difference between knowing about God and truly knowing Him.

I can know someone's name, where they live, and what they do for a living without really knowing their heart. But when you walk through life with someone—sharing joys, disappointments, struggles, laughter, and tears—you come to know them in a much deeper way.

I think that is what happens in our relationship with God.

We get to know Him in the ordinary moments.

We recognize His faithfulness when the electric bill is due and somehow provision comes.

We recognize His comfort when we sit beside someone we love during a difficult season.

We recognize His strength when we wake up in the morning and somehow find enough courage for one more day.

And sometimes, Ross and I look back over our lives and simply shake our heads in wonder. There are places we have been, things we have survived, and seasons we never thought we would get through.

Yet here we are.

Not because life has always been easy.

Not because we always understood God's plan.

But because God has been faithful.

The more we walk with Him, the more we begin to recognize His fingerprints all over our lives.

Hearing Is Only the Beginning

In Luke 11, a woman in the crowd calls out a blessing over Jesus' mother. But Jesus gently redirects her attention.

He says that those who hear the Word of God and put it into practice are truly blessed.

That little word and makes a big difference.

We can hear a thousand sermons.

We can read the Bible every morning.

We can underline verses and post beautiful Scriptures on Facebook.

But eventually, God's Word has to make its way from our heads into our hearts—and then into our lives.

Jesus is telling us that blessing isn't found simply in hearing what God says. It is found in trusting Him enough to do what He says.

Sometimes obedience is easy.

And sometimes it is incredibly difficult.

It is easy to say, “Forgive,” until we are the ones who have been deeply hurt.

It is easy to say, “Do not worry,” until the bills are piling up.

It is easy to say, “Trust God,” until the doctor gives us news we didn't want to hear.

That is when God's Word becomes more than something we read.

It becomes something we live.

The Greek word connected with keeping or guarding carries the idea of watching over something precious. What a beautiful picture that is.

We should guard God's Word in our hearts.

When fear whispers, we remember what God said.

When discouragement comes knocking, we remember what God said.

When the world tells us there is no hope, we remember what God said.

And then—we live accordingly.

Not perfectly.

None of us do that.

But sincerely.

One day at a time.

One choice at a time.

One act of obedience at a time.

Our Sun and Our Shield

Then Psalm 84 gives us one of the most comforting pictures of God:

“For the Lord God is our sun and our shield.”

A sun and a shield.

What a combination!

The sun gives light.

When we don't know which direction to go, God illuminates the next step.

Notice, He doesn't always shine a giant spotlight showing us the next ten years. Oh, wouldn't that be nice sometimes? But often He simply gives us enough light for the next step.

And sometimes, that is all we need.

Then He is our shield.

A shield stands between us and what seeks to harm us.

That doesn't mean we will never face hardship. Ross and I know better than that. Following Jesus does not mean life suddenly becomes trouble-free.

But it does mean we never walk through our troubles alone.

God protects us in ways we can see and in ways we may never fully understand.

There have probably been dangers God kept us from that we will never know about this side of Heaven.

There have been doors that closed that later turned out to be blessings.

There have been prayers we thought God didn't answer, only to discover later that His answer was protecting us.

Psalm 84 also says that God gives us grace and glory and that He will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.

That does not mean God promises us everything we want.

I think we all know there is a difference between what we want and what is truly good for us!

But it does mean we can trust His heart.

God sees the whole picture while we are only looking at one tiny piece of the puzzle.

Sometimes we pray for an open door, and God lovingly keeps it shut.

Sometimes we ask for an easier road, and instead, He gives us stronger legs.

Sometimes we ask Him to remove the storm, and instead, He teaches us how to stand in the rain.

That is why trust is so important.

Walking Into September

So today, as we step into this new month, let's keep it simple.

Let's look for God.

He wants to make Himself known.

Let's listen for His voice.

And when we hear His Word, let's put it into practice.

Let's trust Him to be our sun when we need direction.

Let's trust Him to be our shield when life feels frightening.

And let's remember that a faithful walk with God does not require us to have all the answers.

It simply requires us to keep walking with the One who does.

September may bring surprises.

There may be good days and difficult days.

There may be prayers answered in ways that make us rejoice, and prayers that require us to wait.

But through every single day, God remains the same.

He is holy.

He is faithful.

He is present.

He is our Sun.

He is our Shield.

And He is already waiting for us in every tomorrow we have not yet reached.

So today, bring Him your fears.

Bring Him your hopes.

Bring Him your finances, your health concerns, your family, and all those things that keep you awake at night.

Guard His Word in your heart.

Watch for His light.

Rest behind His shield.

And walk into this new month knowing that you are never walking alone.

Let Us Pray

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for bringing us to the beginning of another month. Thank You that we do not have to face the future alone or figure everything out by ourselves. You already know every day that lies ahead of us.

Lord, help us to know You more deeply. Open our eyes to see Your hand at work, even in the ordinary moments of our lives. Help us not simply to hear Your Word, but to live it.

When fear tries to take over, remind us that You are our Shield. When we don't know which way to go, be our Sun and shine Your light upon the next step.

Father, give us hearts that trust You even when we don't understand Your plan. Help us to remember that a closed door may be Your protection and a delay may be part of Your greater purpose.

Bless our families, strengthen those who are struggling, comfort those who are hurting, and provide for those in need.

As we walk into September, help us walk closely with You.

One day at a time.

One step at a time.

With our hand firmly in Yours.

In Jesus' precious name, Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in Heaven,

Hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,

On earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom,

And the power, and the glory,

Forever and ever.

Amen.

BELIEVE, OBEY, BE BLESSED.

AMEN.

BOBBA ❤️ 

Love, Penny 💛