Marked By The Presence of God

The History of the Presence of God and the People of Israel

Moses and The Presence of God

Joshua and The Presence of God

Eli and The Presence of God

Samuel and The Presence of God

Saul and The Presence of God

David and The Presence of God

The ark was taken to the house of Abinadab at Kiriath-jearim. It stayed there for “some twenty years.”28 Instead of Israel valuing the Presence, they just left the ark at Abinadab’s house. They were content having it out of the enemy’s hands and in the outskirts of their land. They were okay with the ark being marginalized. Must be they didn’t think it was useful to them anymore.
-Cummings, Lee M.. Give No Rest!

Have we become content with the presence of God on the outskirts of our lives?

The Presence of God was David’s !

2 Samuel 6:1-8 (New Living Translation)

Then David again gathered all the elite troops in Israel, 30,000 in all. 2 He led them to Baalah of Judah to bring back the Ark of God, which bears the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim. 3 They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab’s house, which was on a hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were guiding the cart 4 that carried the Ark of God. Ahio walked in front of the Ark. 5 David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instruments—lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.

6 But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand and steadied the Ark of God. 7 Then the Lord’s anger was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him dead because of this. So Uzzah died right there beside the Ark of God.

8 David was angry because the Lord’s anger had burst out against Uzzah. He named that place Perez-uzzah (which means “to burst out against Uzzah”), as it is still called today.

The new cart was man’s methodology. It was how the Philistines had transported the ark when they sent it back over the border. It’s how things get moved easily, with the least amount of work or effort by men, but it is not God’s method. God doesn’t anoint methods. As E. M. Bounds (1835–1913) said, “The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men.”4 God anoints men and women, not strategies. Poles on the shoulders of those who had been consecrated as priests for such a purpose was God’s way.

Cummings, Lee M.. Give No Rest!

How have you allowed others’ ideas to determine what you do?

You can have all of your doctrines right—yet still not have the presence of God.
Leonard Ravenhill

2 Samuel 6:9-15 (New Living Translation)

9 David was now afraid of the Lord, and he asked, “How can I ever bring the Ark of the Lord back into my care?” 10 So David decided not to move the Ark of the Lord into the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath. 11 The Ark of the Lord remained there in Obed-edom’s house for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and his entire household.

12 Then King David was told, “The Lord has blessed Obed-edom’s household and everything he has because of the Ark of God.” So David went there and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the City of David with a great celebration. 13 After the men who were carrying the Ark of the Lord had gone six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. 14 And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment.[f] 15 So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams’ horns.

…David prepared an environment for God to be honored perpetually by him and all Israel.
Cummings, Lee M.. Give No Rest!:

What kind of environment are you creating for the presence of God?

David wanted God to be near, so he built Him a close to him and among the people.

Psalm 132:3-5 (New Living Translation)
3 “I will not go home;
I will not let myself rest.
4 I will not let my eyes sleep
nor close my eyelids in slumber
5 until I find a place to build a house for the Lord,
a sanctuary for the Mighty One of Israel.”

God wanted to be near us, so He sent His son to be with us so He could ultimately take up in us.

Ephesians 2:19-22 (New Living Translation)
19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens, along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

To stand in the presence of God, that is what the Gospel is. The Gospel is not primarily about forgiveness. It’s not primarily about good feelings. It’s not primarily about power. All those things are byproducts, sparks. It’s primarily about the presence of God.
Timothy Keller

Nothing in or of this world measures up to the simple pleasure of experiencing the presence of God.
Aiden Wilson Tozer

We are called to live aware of His presence in area of our life.

The plans of God are only revealed in the presence of God.
Mark Batterson

What are you passionate about?

What are you prioritizing?

The most holy and important practice in the spiritual life is the presence of God – that is, every moment to take great pleasure that God is with you
Brother Lawrence