Life remain an unimaginable and invaluable privilege when we discover how to feel God’s presence.
Having it allows us to remain in harmony with heaven and enjoy God’s direction in everything when we do.
Today, I would like to share a short reflection on how to feel God’s presence in our lives.
To do so, I’m going to start with a story we found in the Bible.
The book of the prophet Samuel tells that at one point when the moral decay of the leaders of the people of Israel and the people themselves was deplorable, the people went to war with the Philistines.
At that time, the sons of Eli led the priesthood as blasphemous and profane men, with no love for God or fear of Him.
Eli was already a very old man who had not properly educated his children or restricted them from committing their sins.
Because of these things, God had distanced himself from Israel and its leaders.
In this context, the Israelites lose an important battle against the Philistines at a certain point in the war.
Let’s look at what the Bible says that happened next:
When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines?
Let us bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh so that he may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.”
So the people sent men to Shiloh, bringing back the ark of the covenant of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim.
And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
So the Philistines fought, the Israelites were defeated, and every man fled to his tent.
The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers.
The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
1 Samuel 4:3 -4; 10-11
From the previous story, I would like to make a series of observations that will allow us to reflect on how to feel the presence of God in our lives.
God’s presence remains with those who honor Him.
From the above account, we observed that Israel wanted the benefits of God’s presence, yet it did not want God Himself, as they did not honor Him.
This is a common attitude that we also see today.
People of all kinds, we want God to help and bless us without recognizing Him as the Lord of our life.
We have a distorted image of God as someone we only think of when we need to open a door in our lives.
We do not think of Him as the wise and loving father who wants to help us guide our path.
We don’t want to hear what God has to say; we don’t want to follow His commandments; we just want His blessings.
This simply cannot be the case.
The first point on how to feel God’s presence is to honor and obey Him and departs from the midst of those who turn away from obedience to Him.
God’s presence remains where it is valued.
As we read the above story carefully, we can see how the leaders of the people of Israel, and the people themselves, had narrowed God’s presence.
They thought God’s presence was something of an amulet they could use at their convenience.
Such was their level of contempt for God’s presence that they dared to take the ark of the covenant out from the tabernacle itself, which was not lawful for them.
They carried it as if it were a war amulet, thinking that God would give them victory just because the ark was with them.
Such a superstitious and presumptuous action clearly shows how little value they placed on the holy presence of God.
The idea that something material is so sacred that God will not let us fail for its sake is superstitious.
The Israelites not only lost the battle but also lost the ark itself.
Such ideas must be replaced by love, diligence, and fear of the Lord.
The second point on how to feel God’s presence remains and rests on those who understand his infinite worth.
In those who give God in love the honor and respect that He deserves.
God’s presence is maintained when we repent.
Of all the sins that the people and their leaders had committed, there was no one so great that would withdraw the favor and protection of God’s presence from their midst, as it was not to repent.
If they had taken their eyes off themselves, thinking that they deserved the victory and that God had to give it to them for having the ark.
If, instead of putting their trust in the ark, they had put it in God with a repentant heart, God, in His infinite love, would have forgiven them and favored them.
However, due to their inability to see mistakes in themselves and to repent, they had to perish.
The third point on how to feel God’s presence is being humble and poor in spirit.
As human beings, we can err; God does not abandon us just because we make mistakes.
However, when we sin, we must seek Jesus and his merits, with repentance, accept God’s forgiveness, and He will continue to walk with us. It will also be worthwhile to learn how to draw closer to God.
Conclusion
I want to conclude by saying that God’s presence should always be regarded as the greatest blessing, and the loss of his presence and his restrictive power over evil should be feared as the most horrible calamity.
God is sovereign, and his love and mercy are infinite, yet to hope for God’s good when we are in open rebellion and without repentance is a presumptuous action.
After the episode of the capture of the ark, we see in the Bible how Eli dies upon receiving the news, as does the wife of one of his children.
They did not die in response to the pain of the death of their loved ones; they died because of the horror that the presence of God, manifested in the ark, would no longer be in the midst of the people.
This teaches us that God’s presence is more precious than life itself or that of our loved ones.
That is why we must love, value, honor, and protect it so that God’s light always shines in our path.
I hope these words on how to feel God’s presence are a blessing to your life.
And what do you think? Would you like to have God’s presence in your life? Share it in the comments.
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A hug; God bless you.
