A LONGING FOR THE PRESENCE OF GOD
PRESENCE OF GOD: INTRODUCTION
There is a difference between experiencing occasional moments of the presence of God and building a life in which the presence of God is continually honoured. Many desire God’s blessing, protection and provision, but the deeper call of Scripture is to desire God Himself. His presence must become our greatest treasure, His voice our highest authority and fellowship with Him our deepest satisfaction.
David’s desire to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem was much more than a national ceremony. The Ark represented the presence, covenant and government of God among His people. David understood that Israel could not fulfil its divine purpose merely through military strength, political organisation or human wisdom. The nation needed the presence of God at its centre.
The journey of the Ark from the house of Obed-Edom to Jerusalem reveals vital principles for every believer, household and congregation that longs to host God’s presence. It speaks of sanctification, obedience, joyful worship, covenant community, faithful stewardship and an enduring willingness to follow the Lord wherever He leads.
BRINGING THE PRESENCE OF GOD INTO THE CENTRE
1 Chronicles 15:14–28 KJV
(14) So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel.
(15) And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD.
(16) And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.
(17) So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;
(18) And with them their brethren of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, the porters.
(19) So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass;
(20) And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth;
(21) And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel.
(22) And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song, because he was skilful.
(23) And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.
(24) And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obededom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.
(25) So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the house of Obededom with joy.
(26) And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams.
(27) And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also had upon him an ephod of linen.
(28) Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.
Before the Ark was moved, the priests and Levites sanctified themselves. God’s presence was not to be approached carelessly or carried according to human preference. The Ark had to be carried “as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD.” Their desire for God’s presence had to be accompanied by consecration and obedience.
This remains true today. A longing for God must be more than emotional enthusiasm. Genuine spiritual hunger leads us to repentance, holiness, obedience and reverence. We cannot claim to honour God’s presence while knowingly disregarding His Word.
David also ensured that worship, order and spiritual responsibility surrounded the Ark. Singers, musicians, priests and doorkeepers all fulfilled their appointed functions. Hosting God’s presence is therefore not the work of one individual. It requires a covenant people who are willing to take their places and serve faithfully.
THE PRESENCE OF GOD BEGINS WITH DESIRE
God responds to hearts that seek Him above every earthly pursuit. Throughout Scripture, He reveals Himself to those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6 KJV
(6) But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Moses refused to continue Israel’s journey unless God’s presence went with them.
Exodus 33:15 KJV
(15) And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
Moses understood that reaching the destination without God would not constitute success. The Promised Land without the presence of the One who made the promise would be an empty inheritance. In the same way, we must never become so focused on our assignments, ambitions and destinations that we lose our longing for the Lord Himself.
David expressed this hunger as a deep thirst for the living God.
Psalm 42:1–2 KJV
(1) As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
(2) My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
Mary demonstrated the same longing by sitting at the feet of Jesus while Martha was distracted by many responsibilities.
Luke 10:41–42 KJV
(41) And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
(42) But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Service is important, but service must flow from fellowship. Ministry cannot replace intimacy with Christ. Activity for God must never become a substitute for sitting at His feet, hearing His Word and delighting in His presence.
We must ask the Holy Spirit to awaken within us a fresh hunger for Christ. We must pray that the Lord will restore our first love and renew our delight in Him. Christ must become our greatest treasure, highest reward and eternal inheritance.
DWELLING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN GOD’S HOUSEHOLD
Psalm 84:3–4 KJV
(3) Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God.
(4) Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.
God never intended His people to remain spiritual visitors. His desire is that we become established within His household and learn to abide in His presence.
The psalmist observed that even the sparrow had found a home and the swallow a place to build her nest near the altars of the Lord. This is a picture of security, belonging and continuity. God’s presence is not merely a place where we occasionally seek relief; it is where we are called to build our lives. We need to build from the presence of the Lord.
Obed-Edom welcomed the Ark into his home, and the blessing of the Lord rested upon his entire household.
2 Samuel 6:11 KJV
(11) And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the LORD blessed Obededom, and all his household.
Obed-Edom did not treat the presence of God as a burden. He opened his household to the Ark, and everything under his stewardship came beneath the influence of God’s presence.
This provides a powerful pattern for us as Christian households. Our homes should become places where Christ is honoured, Scripture is respected, prayer is practised, worship is expressed and covenant relationships are protected. The presence of God should influence our conversations, decisions, values and treatment of one another.
The house of God, however, is not ultimately a physical building. It is God’s covenant family—a spiritual house in which believers are joined together and Christ dwells among His people.
1 Peter 2:5 KJV
(5) Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Like Mephibosheth, who continually ate at the king’s table because of covenant, we have received the privilege of fellowship with the King. We are no longer strangers and outsiders. We have been brought into the household of God.
Ephesians 2:19 KJV
(19) Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.
We must allow the Lord to establish us in His household, strengthen our covenant relationships and make our homes places of worship, peace and continual praise. We are called to become pillars who remain faithful in the house of God.
STRENGTH FOR THE JOURNEY FROM THE PRESENCE OF GOD
Psalm 84:5–7 KJV
(5) Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.
(6) Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.
(7) They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
As sons of God, we are pilgrims whose journey must be directed by the presence of God. Abraham followed the Lord into an unknown future. Israel journeyed by following the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. Joshua followed the Ark into the Jordan, and Caleb remained wholehearted throughout his life.
The promise of Psalm 84 is not that those who seek God will never pass through valleys. It is that the valley will not have the final word. When our strength is in God, the Valley of Baca—a place associated with weeping—can become a place of refreshing.
David demonstrated this principle during one of the darkest moments of his life. Ziklag had been burned, the families had been taken captive and David’s own men spoke of stoning him.
1 Samuel 30:6 KJV
(6) And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but
David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
David’s circumstances did not strengthen him. He found strength in the Lord. This is the secret of enduring the journey. Our strength does not come from favourable conditions but from continued dependence upon God.
Isaiah 40:31 KJV
(31) But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Those who wait upon the Lord move from strength to strength. Even when we feel weak, the grace of Christ becomes sufficient for us.
2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV
(9) And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Every valley can become a place of spiritual formation and refreshing when God is our strength. We do not deny the difficulty of the journey, but we refuse to journey independently of His presence.
BECOMING FAITHFUL DOORKEEPERS
Psalm 84:8–10 KJV
(8) O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.
(9) Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed.
(10) For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
After faithfully hosting the Ark, Obed-Edom was entrusted with serving as a doorkeeper in relation to the presence of God. He did not remain
behind when the Ark was moved. He followed the presence and accepted a new responsibility.
A doorkeeper protects what is holy, guards what has been entrusted and exercises discernment concerning what may enter. This role may not appear prominent, but it is precious to God. The psalmist understood that one day serving at the threshold of God’s house was better than a thousand days spent elsewhere.
Believers are called to guard apostolic doctrine, protect covenant relationships and preserve an atmosphere in which God’s presence is honoured. Paul instructed Timothy to faithfully guard what had been entrusted to him.
2 Timothy 1:13–14 KJV
(13) Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
(14) That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.
Every believer must also become a doorkeeper over the gates of the heart. We must guard what enters through our eyes and ears, what occupies our thoughts and what proceeds from our mouths.
Proverbs 4:23 KJV
(23) Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Guarding the heart is not the same as hardening the heart. A guarded heart remains tender toward God but refuses entrance to compromise, bitterness, division, deception and impurity. It receives truth while rejecting everything that opposes the character and government of Christ.
Our households, congregations and communities need faithful gatekeepers—believers who will protect truth without becoming controlling, preserve unity without compromising righteousness and exercise discernment without falling into suspicion.
We should pray that God will make us faithful stewards of everything He has entrusted to us. What we protect today may become the spiritual inheritance of the next generation.
CARRIERS OF GRACE AND GLORY
Psalm 84:11 KJV
(11) For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
Those who faithfully pursue God’s presence increasingly reflect His nature. Moses’ face shone after meeting with God, not because Moses possessed glory in himself, but because he had stood in the presence of the Lord.
Exodus 34:29 KJV
(29) And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
Likewise, when Stephen stood before the council, the inward reality of Christ’s life became visible upon him.
Acts 6:15 KJV
(15) And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
God is both our Sun and our Shield. As our Sun, He gives light, warmth, direction and life. As our Shield, He surrounds, protects and preserves us. He gives grace for every assignment and glory that causes the character of Christ to become visible through us.
God’s glory is not given to make us impressive. It is given so that Christ may be revealed. The evidence that we have spent time in God’s presence should be seen in increasing humility, purity, love, wisdom, courage and obedience.
Isaiah 60:1–2 KJV
(1) Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
(2) For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
The darker the world becomes, the more necessary it is for believers to reflect the nature of Christ accurately. We must pray that His radiance will become increasingly visible in every believer and that His grace will sustain us in uprightness.
AN ENDURING LIFE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD
Psalm 84:12 KJV
(12) O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
Hosting God’s presence is not a temporary experience; it is a lifelong pursuit. Obed-Edom did not host the Ark for three months and then return to life as it had been before. When David brought the Ark to Jerusalem, Obed-Edom followed the presence and became a doorkeeper before it.
This reveals an essential truth: God’s presence is not merely something we visit; it is Someone we follow.
We must not become attached only to a particular place, method, season or manifestation. The Lord may lead us into new responsibilities, unfamiliar territories and changing seasons. Our commitment must be to follow Him.
Revelation 14:4 KJV
(4) These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
The Lord is raising a people who will follow the Lamb wherever He goes, faithfully steward His presence and carry the message and demonstration of His Kingdom to the nations.
This requires spiritual fathers who are willing to lead courageously into new territories and faithful sons who are prepared to walk in covenant, carry responsibility and continue the assignment. The presence of God must be stewarded from one generation to another.
We must pray for grace to remain steadfast, never turning aside from the Lord’s leading. We must ask God to gather faithful sons from the nations into His household and establish them in truth, covenant and divine purpose.
FROM LONGING TO A LIFESTYLE
A longing for God’s presence must eventually become a lifestyle of consecration, obedience and faithful stewardship. David desired the Ark, but he also prepared a place for it. The Levites sanctified themselves. The appointed servants carried the Ark according to God’s Word. The worshippers lifted their voices with joy, and the doorkeepers guarded what was holy.
In the same way, we must make room for the Lord in every area of our lives. We cannot confine His presence to a church service or a private devotional moment. He desires to govern our households, relationships, decisions, work, ministry and future.
A life that hosts God’s presence will be marked by:
- A deep hunger for fellowship with Christ.
- Consecration and obedience to the Word of God.
- Faithful participation in God’s covenant household.
- Dependence upon God’s strength throughout the journey.
- Discernment in guarding what is holy.
- A growing reflection of the grace and glory of Christ.
- An enduring willingness to follow the Lamb wherever He leads.
CALL TO ACTION: MAKE ROOM FOR HIS PRESENCE
Today, ask the Holy Spirit to examine your heart. Has the presence of God remained your greatest desire, or have activity, responsibility and earthly concerns taken His place? Have you become a spiritual visitor when God is calling you to dwell in His household? Are you faithfully guarding what He has entrusted to you, or have compromise and distraction gained entrance?
Make a fresh commitment to pursue the Lord with your whole heart. Consecrate your life, household and ministry to Him again. Restore the altar of prayer, return to His Word, strengthen covenant relationships and remove whatever grieves the Holy Spirit. Choose, like Obed-Edom, not only to welcome the presence of God but also to follow Him into every new season.
Let this become your declaration: “The presence of God is my greatest treasure. I will dwell in His house, draw strength from Him, guard what He has entrusted to me and follow the Lamb wherever He leads. My household and I will honour the Lord, carry His presence and faithfully serve His Kingdom until Christ is fully revealed in the earth.”
Grace and peace to you until next time.
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