My soul yearns, yes, even pines and is homesick for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out and sing for joy to the living God. Psalm 84:2 Amplified Bible
King David would envy our unlimited access to God’s presence.
In David’s day, God’s presence resided in His temple. To encounter the Lord God, they had to travel to the physical temple in Jerusalem. That is why King David poetically pined to be a bird (Ps. 84:3-4). The birds had free access to God’s presence. They nested in the rafters and dwelt in His presence all day.
Like the birds, you and I have free and unlimited access to God’s presence. Jesus took our sins to the cross opening a way for us to be in God’s presence. God is no longer worshiped in a physical place. God is worshiped in Spirit and in truth (Jn. 4:24).
I sometimes think that traveling to a physical place to be in God’s presence might be easier. Traveling to the spiritual place takes focused concentration, a sanctified imagination, and mental discipline.
Focused concentration is required to see beyond the physical realm, into the realm of the Spirit. God is Spirit (Jn. 4:24). Sometimes, it is necessary to push through the physical pains and struggles and distractions to reach the place where God dwells. Don’t be surprised when those distractions become more numerous when you decide to pursue His presence. You have an enemy who hopes to keep you from it.
Using our sanctified imagination will help us enter the spiritual realm, where God dwells. I envision seeing Jesus with His passionate eyes or entering the throne room of heaven. I imagine interactions with my beloved Bridegroom King. One day, sleep pulled at my eyes while I was in His presence. So, I closed my Bible and rested my head on it. I imagined resting my head in Jesus’ lap. I envisioned Him lovingly stroking my hair as I napped in His lap. That’s what I mean by a sanctified imagination.
In addition to the physical world shouting for our attention, our own minds distract us. Our thoughts will wander down corridors they simply shouldn’t go. And the “to do” list becomes longer and louder when we try to sit quietly. This is when the discipline of taking every thought captive is extremely important (2 Cor. 2:5).
When I was first training my mind to dwell only on God’s ideas, I would go days before recognizing that I had been sucked down the rabbit hole of “what if.” Hours of wasted time and emotional energy on decision trees for every disaster a mom could think up. Yikes! When I finally caught myself, I would physically turn around (repent) and walk in a different direction. I started celebrating the small wins to encourage myself. Yeah, I only wasted half a day this time. Like other disciplines, it gets easier with practice.
One practical suggestion is to keep a notepad handy as you are seeking God’s presence. When things come to mind that must be done, instead of jumping up to do them, simply write them down.
Pursuing God’s presence takes discipline and concentration, but the reward is sweet. One day – one hour – in His presence is better than a thousand elsewhere (Ps. 84:10). The peace and joy and love of dwelling in His presence is its own reward.
King David longed for God’s presence with his whole being. His inward man (heart) and his outward man (flesh) cried out for the living God (Ps. 84:2).
How about you? Do you long for God with your whole being?
Beloved, I encourage you to take advantage of your unlimited access to the God of the universe.