Experience the presence of God on a daily basis

"Jesus answered him : If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him ; and we will come to him and make his home in his house." John 14.23

Life is full of occupations and distractions. We are so easily carried away by our responsibilities, our activities and our concerns that we lose sight of the essentials.

The first step is to obey his Word.

There is an interesting story at the end of chapter two of Luke's Gospel. It tells the story of Mary and Joseph taking Jesus to Jerusalem on the occasion of the Jewish Easter.

Jesus was then twelve years old. At the end of the festivities, they left the city to go home thinking that Jesus was with them. I wonder how often we suppose that God is with us, as we have moved away from his path to carry out our own business !

Here's the interesting thing : Mary and Joseph traveled a full day before realizing that Jesus was not with them, and then it took them three days to find him. Three days !

The conclusion of this story is that it is easier to lose God's presence than to find it once we have lost it. We must be careful to stay in the presence of God. It is then that he will feel at home in our heart.

The first step is simply to obey his Word. Making the commitment to stop doing something that offends God is the first sign of spiritual maturity. This is proof that what he thinks is important to you. It means that you choose to become generous to others, to learn to forgive, to give up your offenses and to live in peace.

When we decide to become intentional in our words, thanking God and raising others, we feel connected to God all day long.

A prayer for today

Father, thank you for dwelling in my heart. Lord, I need your presence today. Help me to honor you in my thoughts and words and to be a blessing to those around me.

Joyce Meyer

Source (The Thought of the Day)