TUESDAY 11th
Psalm 114
Presence
NIV (v7) ‘Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob. . .’
ESV (v7) ‘Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob. . .’
This psalm in its context is a psalm that should cause the nations to fear, both the rulers of the nations and the peoples of the nations, for the presence of the LORD is an awesome thing. Another verse says that the earth melts like wax at the presence of the LORD.
There is something fearful about the presence of the LORD because of who he is, he is the Almighty, Sovereign God who has the right to demand, the right to rule and the right to be obeyed, he will fulfil that which he has determined and should anyone wish to stand in his way, then look out! But there is another aspect of the presence of God that is comforting, for to those who obey him, he comes to be the God who is ever present, he comes to make his presence known, he comes to make his presence to be a comfort, a strength as we seek to live for him and in obedience to his ways. In an earlier psalm we read, ‘God is a very present help in trouble’ (Psalm 46:1)
Yesterday we looked at praise, and there is something about praise that brings us into the very presence of God, for Scripture says that God inhabits or dwells in the praises of his people.
The presence of God is powerful, because he himself is powerful, his presence demands our awe, it demands our holiness, it demands that we give to him his rightful place, it also demands our obedience, but at the same time it should be a great strength to us. It was to Moses and Joshua that God said, ‘Be strong and very courageous’ and why? Because God promised that he would be with them, his very presence would go with them. As we commit our lives to God, he also promises to be with us, he promises that he will never leave us or forsake us, so whatever you are faced with today, remember that the awesome powerful God who was with Moses, with Joshua and with all the other great men and women of faith in the Scriptures is also with you. He is very present and a very present help in trouble.