"By whom you are indeed being built into a dwelling place as one
holy habitation where God through his Spirit can now reside."
- Ephesians 2:22 (personal translation)
There are three main aspects to God's presence. First, there is his omnipresence. This means he is everywhere in all places at all times. The fact that he dwells in eternity means his presence fills more than time and space. He exists in the eternal past, the present, and the eternal future. The Psalmist said: "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there" (Psa. 139:7, 8). There is no one who can escape the omnipresence of God because he fills everything, everywhere with himself. Paul even wrote in his letter to the Hebrews concerning this, and said: "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do" (Heb. 4:13).
Secondly, there is the manifest presence of God. This is when God's presence is felt all around us. He is there because he is everywhere, but men may not be aware of his presence. When God is welcomed into our midst then we can feel his nearness. There are times when his presence feels like a soft breeze blowing over our soul. Other times there can come a strong sense of his power overshadowing us as if he is permeating our entire being. This is what comes when we feel the anointing of his presence. It's a tangible feeling that fills the room. Peter once said, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:19). Whether it is corporately or individually felt, when we turn all our full attention on him and forsake our own sins and our own ways, then there can come a refreshing from his presence that fills us and revitalizes us in every way.
The third aspect to knowing God's presence is that he lives within us. As believers, we are carriers of his presence. We have the opportunity to stir up his presence anytime we choose. This is what Paul referred to as being "the habitation of God through the Spirit" (Eph. 2:22). Our hearts are God's home. He lives here. But just as men can live without an awareness of his omnipresence, we can live unaware of his indwelling presence. We can become so distracted by the things of life that we dismiss the power of him living right here, right in our hearts.
But oh, when we begin to live with a consciousness that God dwells in us then things about our life will change. Things around us will change. We will see things differently. When we stir up the presence of God then it is as if we become more conscious of our surroundings. It is almost as if he makes us aware of what he is aware of. This is where we grow deeper in our relationship with him. Paul talked about us being made "partakers of Christ" (Heb. 3:14). The word "partakers" is the Greek word METOCHOS. It means to be a partner or one who share in something together as equals, as in the case of a marriage or business associate.
We have the privilege of living this life with God right in the middle of it. He has decided to come to live in us. We are his house now, but we need to become more than his house. We need to make our lives his home. We often say, "There is no place like home." There is nothing that can make this truer than to have God coming to live in us as his home. You talk about a new adventure! You talk about having daily encounters of a heavenly kind! When God becomes so welcomed in us because we have turned everything inside out for him, then we will experience an enlargement of our relationship. Becoming conscious of his indwelling presence, tending to it with great care will bring us into an ever, deepening acquaintance with more comprehensive discernment.
If you will decide today to go deeper, if you make it your quest to know him more intimately, then here is where it must begin. David said, "In his presence is fullness of joy" (Psa. 16:11). There is no greater satisfaction than to be near him, to be able to enjoy him, and to discover news facets of his being. All of this is what awaits the true seeker. You need not go too far to enjoy such an engagement, to experience such a wonderful encounter. *
