CARRY GOD’S PRESENCE WITH US EACH DAY!

 

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Isaiah 26:3.

      I memorized this Old Testament verse early in my Christian walk. I learned it in King James, so I think it now means the most to me in King James.
      Hello again, I'm Arlen Yoder from the Soulwinnersr.us website. Remember—the angels in heaven rejoice when a loved one or friend gives their heart to Jesus.
      The title of my post today is “CARRY GOD’S PRESENCE WITH US EACH DAY!” It’s about recognizing and acknowledging God’s presence in you and me each day through the power of His Holy Spirit.
      A couple of weeks ago, the devotional I was reading emphasized what my post is about: “Carry God’s Presence With Us Each Day.” As usual, I opened a Bible app and found the phrase "God’s presence" over 300 times. My favorite verse I found about it was in Psalm 16:11, where David wrote:

“You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.”

      Then I remembered that while serving in a Mennonite Voluntary Service Discipleship Unit in Richmond, Virginia, in the early 1980s, the unit had on a bookshelf Brother Lawrence’s book, “The Practice of the Presence of God.” Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite Monk in France in the 1600s. I wanted to become a more devoted disciple of Jesus Christ and carry His presence with me more and more each day, so I read Brother Lawrence’s book with great eagerness.
      For the forty-some years that Brother Lawrence served in the monastery, he handled mundane, seemingly thankless tasks like cooking, cleaning, and even repairing sandals. What others might deem tedious work, Brother Lawrence thrived in being able to do these tasks for his Lord and ‘practicing the presence of God’ each day while doing them.
      "The Practice of the Presence of God” was not written and compiled directly by Brother Lawrence. Others who greatly treasured Brother Lawrence's wisdom and devotion compiled it from four “Conversations” with him, sixteen “Letters” he wrote, and six “Spiritual Maxims” gleaned after his death from his personal writings and conversations with others.
      The bottom line for Brother Lawrence is that he practiced the presence of God each day, and encouraged those around him to do likewise, way back in the 1600s. He learned way back then what Isaiah said: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Brother Lawrence . . . and Isaiah encouraged themselves, others, and us . . . to ‘carry God’s presence with us each day’.
      See you next time.