The Brilliance of His Presence

One day just before Easter as I was driving east through a narrow valley, God showed me something amazing. Straight ahead, the morning sun was blindingly bright. To my left, I saw thick woods; tangled and dark, yet still beautiful, with occasional, tiny splashes of sunlight penetrating the darkness. At the same time the beautiful hymn, “Alleluia” was playing on my radio with a full choir accompanied by an orchestra and a pipe organ. My volume was up and it was magnificent!

This is an Easter message after Easter day, but Easter needs to be full-blown in our hearts and minds all year.

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!

Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!

Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!

Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, ALLELUIA!!!

At the same moment those words were being lustily belted out by the choir, I was being blinded by the brilliant sunlight up ahead. Then I turned my eyes to see the dark, twisted forest. God spoke to my heart. That sunlight represented His blinding, glorious Presence and the dark, tangled woods represented this time here on earth.

What can I say about the brilliance of His Presence? A.W. Tozer wrote this prayer: O Majesty unspeakable, my soul desires to behold Thee. I cry to Thee from the dust. Yet when I inquire after Thy name it is secret. Thou art hidden in the light which no man can approach unto. What Thou art cannot be thought or uttered, for Thy glory is ineffable.

Ineffable; incapable of being expressed or described in words. Inexpressable. Not to be spoken because of its sacredness. Unutterable.

When was the last time you were in God’s PRESENCE where you felt as if you couldn’t express the Glory and the Brilliance of your experience? When you were speechless before Him? Might He want you there in that position much more often?

I heard someone today say we can't be there in that deep awareness 24/7, but we can be aware of His abiding Presence and His love for us at every moment. Pulling away from the ordinary and putting ourselves in the position to simply BE with Him, is something that should happen way more often than most of us allow.

Abide in Him.

Do you more often find yourself caught up in the tangles and darkness represented by the woods? The tangles and darkness of sin, of fear, of anxiety, of hurt? Possibly the darkness of unbelief or even lack of knowledge of what God has done for you. Are the tangles choking out the awareness of His Presence?

Throughout those dark woods, I also saw splashes of light. When we can’t seem to approach Him, He will come to us if we will simply invite Him. He has come to us through Jesus and He comes to us in a thousand little ways every day. “[Jesus] said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:12) His light shines through the darkness. Let yourself see it and respond to it.

Let yourself also be that splash of light in the middle of these dark times. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14‭-‬16

Regardless of how unapproachable God is in all His Glory and Brilliance, He has made Himself approachable. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Run to Him!

 With your sin, with your grief, with your success, with your anger, with your frustrations, with your questions; God can handle it all and he welcomes you with open arms.