Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance. Psalm 89:15
I’ve read several different articles, while housebound with the abundance of snow here in Victoria, which have all spoken to living with the abiding presence of the Lord. They asked the question, Can we actually live 24/7 in this state? The obvious answer is, of course. The real question though, is, do we, not can we?
The way has always been open and the invitation has always been there. This Psalm assures us that we can live that life, blessed, joyful and living in His light. Jesus said, Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. NLT says, “I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”
I’ve taken the liberty to copy a paragraph from MacLaren Exposition of Holy Scriptures (Alexander MacLaren 1826-1910). The following is a part of his comments on Psalm 89:15.
“And although we are bound to be diligent in business, and some of us have had to take a heavy lift of a great deal of hard work, and much of it apparently standing in no sort of relation to our religious life, yet for all that it is possible to bend all to this one direction, and to make everything a means of bringing us nearer to God and fuller of the conscious enjoyment of His presence. And if we have not learned to do that with our daily work, then our daily work is a curse to us. If we have allowed it to become so absorbing or distracting as that it dims and darkens our sense of the divine Presence, then it is time for us to see what is wrong in the method or in the amount of work which is thus darkening our consciences. I know it is hard, I know that an absolute attainment of such an ideal is perhaps beyond us, but I know that we can approach-I was going to say infinitely, but a better word is indefinitely-nearer it than any of us have ever yet done. As the psalm goes on to say in the next clause, it is possible for us to ‘rejoice in His Name all the day.’ Ay, even at your tasks, and at your counters, and in your kitchens, and in my study, it is possible for us; and if our hearts are what and where they ought to be, the possibility will be realized. Earthly duty has no necessary effect of veiling the consciousness of God.”
Oswald Chambers, MUHH, (February 12 and 13) wrote about our human propensity of not wanting to hear from God directly because then we must become responsible for what he says. The distractions of life and the desire for other things are the warning Mark’s gospel gives us about robbing the word which is the very thing that gives us life. We want to know what God says, but we want others to take the time to hear from God and tell us. This way, we can dismiss the person rather than God.
Could this be why the church sees so many looking for personal words of prophecy? Always hearing and yet never growing up. Someone living in vital communion with the Father does not often need another to tell Him the way, the truth or give Him life. Mind you, we all have times where fellowship is at the low ebb and are always grateful for those who come along and are able to help. I would never diminish the gifts of the Spirit because I both give and receive them and know their benefit. But when the perfect is come, these things are gone. Why; because we see Him as He is and we do not need another to communicate the heart and mind of God for us. This of course does not have anything to do with being taught, but rather our own personal developing fellowship with the Father, to know Him.
I know there are limitations to what we are able to hear and know now, but we can always press in to a place we haven’t been to know things we have not known and see things we have not seen. There is so much more the Father has prepared for us.
The invite is there and the way is open. Shall we go in?