THE SECRET OF HIS PRESENCE

We all love the Book of Psalms and especially the Psalms of King David, he sinned much, but is also forgiven much, and as a result of this there developed an awesome intimacy between him and God , we read this beautiful statement in Psalm 31:19-20 NKJV Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men!
You shall hide them in THE SECRET PLACE OF YOUR PRESENCE.

PASSION Lord, how wonderful you are!
You have stored up so many good things for us,
like a treasure chest heaped up and spilling over with blessings—
all for those who honor and worship you!
Everybody knows what you can do
for those who turn and hide themselves in you.
So hide all your beloved ones
in the sheltered, secret place before your face.
Overshadow them by your glory-presence.

N.L.T. How great is the goodness
you have stored up for those who fear you.
You lavish it on those who come to you for protection,
blessing them before the watching world.
You hide them in the shelter of your presence,

MESSAGE What a stack of blessing you have piled up
for those who worship you,
Ready and waiting for all who run to you
to escape an unkind world.
You hide them safely away
from the opposition.

One of the awesome privileges of being a born again child of God is to know personally and constantly His manifest presence in our lives. Of course if we sin against the Lord, this is often withdrawn until we repent, and there are other times when the Lord may also withdraw His presence, for us to trust Him, whether we “feel” His presence or not.

I love being in the Lord’s presence, and when I spend some time in worship, and other times like when I use my prayer language, His presence floods over me, I will never take this privilege for granted.

My readers know i was born again in The Salvation Army almost 70 years ago, and there are songs from those days that still keep coming back to me (even though it is close to 60 years since I moved into the Charismatic/Pentecostal world). One of the great S.A. Generals was a man called Albert Osborn, his autobiography is called “House of My Pilgrimage”, it is well worth reading if you can get it. He was also a magnificent songwriter, and wrote many beautiful songs, the one listed below came to my remembrance a couple of days ago, and was and is still a great blessing to me.

In the secret of Thy presence,
Where the pure in heart may dwell,
Are the springs of sacred service
And a power that none can tell.
There my love must bring its offering,
There my heart must yield its praise,
And the Lord will come, revealing
All the secrets of His ways.

In the secret of Thy presence,
In the hiding of Thy power,
Let me love Thee, let me serve Thee,
Every consecrated hour.

More than all my lips may utter,
More than all I do or bring,
Is the depth of my devotion
To my Saviour, Lord and King.
Nothing less will keep me tender;
Nothing less will keep me true;
Nothing less will keep the fragrance
And the bloom on all I do!

Blessèd Lord, to see Thee truly,
Then to tell as I have seen –
This shall rule my life supremely;
This shall be the sacred gleam.
Sealed again is all the sealing,
Pledged again my willing heart,
First to know Thee, then to serve Thee,
Then to see Thee as Thou art.

Let me encourage you NEVER to take the Lord’s manifest presence for granted, but CULTIVATE IT, seek to deepen it, and learn to live and walk in His presence. it is all a foretaste of heaven.

I trust you agree with Kind David Psalm 16:11 NKJV You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures for evermore,

Albert Osborn