In His Presence there is fullness of Joy

In His Presence there is fullness of Joy

Psalm 16:11 “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”

Matthew 28 “…and low I am with you until the ends of the earth”

Acts 1:8 “..wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit…”

The Holy Spirit is not only power (dunamis) but he is a seal (mark) upon our lives that God is with us.

Symbols of God’s Presence

Smoking furnace, burning lamp – Genesis 15:17

Consuming Fire

Pillar of Fire

The Lords Furnace

Strange Fire

Wind, Fire, Oil, Light, The Dove, The Cloud, The Seal, Water, Wine

God is light and the light symbolises his presence in the world

Light in ancient Hebrew also a symbol of God’s everlasting presence in the earth.

A rainbow is also confirmation of God’s promise to never flood the earth again.

A rainbow is simply light refracting!

Jesus called himself Light of the World (John 8:12)

Jesus declared that we are both salt and Light.

Paul calls us Children of Light in Thessalonians 5 and Light in the darkness on Ephesians 5.

Eden, a symbol of God’s Presence

Eden in ancient Hebrew also meant Presence, when Adam and Eve sinned what were the consequences? They were removed because of their sin from Eden, that is God’s presence.

After Cain kills able He leaves the presence of God and travels to Nod which means a “place of wandering” Nod was seen as a place without God and without His presence. In Nod you are lost.

Again Cain says to God in Genesis 4:4, "Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."

All throughout scripture we see the only thing that ever separates people from God’s presence is the sin of the people.

If it were up to God we would never be separated from Him, as it is He who desires to dwell among us.

It is Jesus who came in the form of a man, to achieve on the cross all that we could not do from the beginning of time. Since the fall of Adam and Eve, it is we who have failed to be all God made to us to be.

But God is Always Present and Waiting like the Good Father for the Return of His Children to Him

Jesus said in John 16:33 “…In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”.

Jesus not only overcomes our troubles but overcomes the world!

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus!

Matthew 14 Jesus walks on the water to the disciples whom went ahead of him in the boat. When they see Jesus they think it’s a ghost. Jesus reassures them it is him.

Vs 28 Peter says “if its you Lord, then tell me to come.” Jesus simply says “come”.

Peter steps out of the boat on to the water and walks towards Jesus. Vs 30, But when Peter “saw the wind, he was afraid”.

Colossians 3:2 says “Fix your eyes on things above, and not on things below!”

Hebrews 12:2 says to “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Where is Jesus? Seated at the right hand of the Father.

Where are we? Ephesians says we are seated with him in heavenly realms.

It is not the absence of Troubles in our life, but the presence of God that brings the victory!

We are Temples of the Holy Spirit

Joel 2:28 "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.”

Acts 1:8 “Do not leave Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the Father…”

Emmanuel came and dwelt among us not just for a time but until the very end of time.

We are Sealed by the Holy Spirit

A seal in biblical times represented a guarantee (promise).

Song of Solomon 8:6  “Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord.

Ephesians 1:13-14 “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.”

2 Corinthians 5:5 “Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.”

Paul in 1Cor 3:16 & 6:19 says we are temples of the Holy Spirit.

The context of these scriptures relates to what we do with our bodies to ensure we do not expose our bodies to evil when the Spirit of God is present in us.