STAY IN HIS PRESENCE

Monday: June 22, 2020

2 Kings 17:18 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.

David’s prayer in Psalm 51 which is used in the words of the popular song by Keith Green, comes to mind after reading today’s text:

‘Create in me a clean heart Oh God
And renew a right spirit within me
Cast me not away from your presence, oh Lord
And take not thy Holy Spirit from me
Restore unto me the joys of salvation,
And renew a right spirit within me’

While David made this prayer so he would stay in the presence of the Lord, the nation of Israel had done the very opposite, they had forced themselves out of the presence of God. That would be a nicer way to put it but this was the hard truth: God cast them out of His presence. Thus, the joys of salvation also left along with the presence.

We might be thinking about why David was so eager to keep the presence of God at all cost in spite of his failings, and we should not be too surprised because of what accompanies that presence and what is lost in its absence. Without it:

The watchful eyes of Elohim goes away,
The hedging and defences surrounding us disappear,
Seiges set up against us advance,
His glory upon ceases and
The favours bestowed, terminate.

Contrastingly, with His presence, everything stays in place and in order. Beloved, Israel lost much by virtue of their decision to turn their backs on God. Let that not also become our story for we have their example to learn from. Therefore, strive to remain in the presence of the Lord.

#sly