Topic: Having God in your midst
Bible Reading: Zephaniah 1-3; Revelation 15.
Memory Verse: “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 (KJV)
Wherever God is, there is liberty, freedom, joy and even pleasure. Psalm 16:11 (KJV) says, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” So it is a wonderful thing to be in the presence of God or having Him in your midst. The question then is, how do you bring God into your midst or if alone, how do you get to the presence of God and remain there? The first step is to ensure you are in good standing with God by repenting of your sins and forsaking them while studying the word of God to know Him more and to obey His commandments. Then you will need to take your fellowship with Him seriously. It should not depend on your mood or circumstance but should be done regularly to ensure you are in constant touch with Him. This is what happened in Acts 16:25-40 when Paul and Silas were chained in prison but because they were accustomed to praising and praying to hHm, they did not mind their situation but went ahead to fellowship with their maker. And, of course, the Lord showed up and did not only break the chains on their hands and legs but caused the one paid to watch them to surrender his life and take care of them.
In addition, you need to be humble as “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.” Proverbs 8:13 (KJV). How well do you humble yourself?
One other important virtue you need to have if you cherish the presence of God is Faith. This is the way to access Him continuously. In Daniel 3:13-30; king Nebuchadnezzar asked that the three Hebrew men; Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego should bow down for his image or be thrown in the furnace of fire. They chose the latter exhibiting high level of faith in God Almighty. Hear them in Daniel 3:17-18 (KJV), “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. [18] But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” And God honoured their faith and joined them in the fiery furnace to ensure the fire did not burn them. He is ready to be in your midst if you relate with Him in faith, humility, obedience and regular fellowship with Him. And when He is in your midst, He will fill you with joy. The Bible says in Zephaniah 3:17 (KJV), “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” What are you waiting for?
Action point: Eulogise the Almighty God in worship exhibiting your faith in Him and make this a regular relationship and see how you will be transformed by His presence.
Bro. Biodun Oyapero