BLESSINGS OF GOD'S PRESENCE - Part III (October 28, 2012)

Today we are going to see the third part of the message which we were meditating this whole month, “the blessings of God’s presence”.  As we saw earlier, when we sit in prayer early in the morning we will feel the presence of God.  Thus we need to see God’s face before we see someone early in the morning.  When we do so, the presence of God will be with us, inside us, and will surround us.  It will lead us in right paths.  It makes the surrounding happy wherever it goes.  Even the haunted houses will be made peaceful when God’s presence enters.  Only when we forget His presence problem arises.

Today we are going to meditate about a Saint of God, Abraham, who had the Presence of God with him wherever he went.  We will also see how he received the blessings from God step by step.  By pondering over this, we will also follow his steps in order to receive the blessings from God just like him.

1.    VISION

Genesis 15:1,2 - After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
As we know many displeasing incidents happened in the life of Abraham.  Abraham was found in a situation where God needed to give him a description about what is going on in his life.  In the second verse, he was found with a question asking God what He is going to give to him.  Perhaps you might be asking God like Abraham the same way regarding not being blessed even after you were saved long before and badly in need of a blessing now.

Abraham was found in the presence of God throughout this chapter and God gave him a clear answer.  He gave Abraham His word through a vision.  He comforted Abraham by giving him a vision.  Thus Abraham received the experience of seeing vision when God’s presence was found with him.

Regarding vision, it is important for each and every one.  For some it is given concerning others but for many it is given for their self-edification and for their comfort.  Basically God gives vision to men in order to speak with them and to comfort them.  He will reveal the things that will happen next in the lives of men thereby taking them to the next level through a vision.

So when you choose to seek His presence and remain in it, God will set you right and comfort you with His word.  Some people once they get the vision stop coming to church and seek God on their own.  It is wrong.  God gives importance to church-gathering and whatever ministry you do should be through your church.
Prayer:  Dear Lord, speak with me in a vision like You did to Abraham.  Please strengthen my life and stabilize it.  Thank You.

2.    PLAN

Genesis 15:4 - And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.”
This verse tells us of the conversation between God and Abraham regarding the childlessness of Abraham and the plan of Abraham to make Eliezer his heir.  It is recorded heir in the Bible which means the successor of Abraham for all of his property since Abraham was childless.  But God told Abraham that the one who come from the body of Abraham would be his heir.  Abraham was planning in a good way regarding his successor but God’s plan concerning him was different.  God wanted Abraham to submit to His will rather than planning on his own.

When we come into the presence of God the plan of God will be revealed.  You will know the plan of God only when you sit in His presence.  In case of marriage proposal, God will clearly speak of the particular family that they were not in His plan for you even though they were good at heart.  Many today do not understand the way things happen in their lives.  God wants all of them to sit in His presence in order for His plan to be revealed.  Many others will be upset regarding their failures because their expectations did not happen.  But God is asking you to leave all your conditions and submit to His will.

Our maker knows everything about us and He has a plan for everything to happen at the right time.  What is impossible for you so far will be made possible when you submit to His will.  He will come to set your life right.  You might have got wearied repairing your life so far but God is waiting to take care of your life and willing to repair it and reveal His plan to you.
Prayer:  Dear Lord, I am very much tired of planning my life.  I tried all possible ways to set my life right but still I am unable to do it and I am very much tired of doing so.  I now decide to sit in your presence.  Please reveal your plan concerning my life.  Thank You.

3.    EXPLANATION

Genesis 15:5 - Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
The Lord has revealed His plan to Abraham, but he did not seem to understand God’s plan clearly.  So God is trying to demonstrate His plan clearly in this verse.  In other words God is giving an explanation to him.  God took hold of Abraham’s hand and asked him to look toward Heaven and count the stars.  He wanted Abraham to understand the fact that if Abraham could count the stars he could count his descendants because his descendants would be too numerous to count like that of the stars.  A beautiful demonstration given by God indeed!

The one reading this message will also be having questions regarding your future.  Like how God demonstrated the future of Abraham He will do it for you too.  Laymen cannot understand the building plan prepared by an engineer.  Only after building the house he can able to correlate it with the plan.  Likewise our God the Spiritual engineer has designed a plan for your future.  Perhaps you might not understand it in the current situation.  But God has descended down right now to explain and demonstrate the things happening in your life.  You need to just wait in the Presence of God and He will speak to you clearly.  Only after receiving an explanation you will understand His plan.
Prayer:  Lord, I do not understand why many unwanted things are happening in my life.  Also there are many unanswered prayers in my life.  Kindly explain your plan concerning my life.  Thank you.

4.    REVELATION

Genesis 15:13,14 - Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.
And also the nation whom they serve will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions.
Not only Abraham was given full explanation regarding His future, but also he was given revelation concerning distant things.  Though God revealed Abraham the future things it was all beyond his understanding.  In other words God’s level of explanation was beyond Abraham’s understanding since He was speaking to Abraham of things that will happen to his descendants after his death.  This shows the experience of getting revelations from God concerning our future and our generations (far more distant things).

N.T. Paul was very much aware of the pricking thorn he had in his life which annoyed him much.  When he asked God about his thorn, he was revealed that God’s grace will be enough for him.  So he got a clear revelation from God.  Biblical scholars say Paul’s thorn in his flesh was either chronic sickness or bad eyesight.  That is why at the end of some epistles he wrote that he had written it personally.  He was very much happy that God enabled him to write the full epistle with his own hand even though he had thorn in his eyes probably.

Just as Paul, God will also let you know the things happening in your lives when you sit in His presence and ask for a solution.  God will clearly reveal to you the date and time of the thing you ask for.  He will talk with you for a longtime.  He will give you Divine revelation first regarding your own life and then about your neighbors and the world.
Prayer:  Dear Lord, I am not aware of why many unwanted things are happening in my life.  When I sit in your presence please give me your revelation concerning my future.  Thank You.

5.    CONFIRMATION

Genesis 15:8 - And he said, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?”
Genesis 15:17,18 - And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces.  On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying:
“To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates.
Over here we see God is making a covenant with Abraham since the latter asked God of when those things wll happen and how he will know they were happening.  We cannot say that Abraham doubted God since he questioned Him because we now have the Holy Bible which gives us full information about God and His promises but in the period of Abraham there was no Bible and he was new to that religion.  So God was very patient in explaining Abraham clearing all his doubts.  That does not also mean that God will not clear your doubts.  He will do so for sure.

God will confirm whatever He reveals to us when we are seen in His presence.  Even if you buy a land God will confirm it and put an agreement.  God is saying that even while reading this He will confirm everything He promised in your life.  Do not worry regarding your past but just proceed on with confirmation of His revelation.
Prayer:  Dear Lord, please confirm the things you have promised in my life and make me confident to face the future.  Thank you.

6.    MIRACLE

Genesis 15:18 - “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates.
God while finishing His conversation with Abraham said, “I have given this land to your descendants.”  Only after that Abraham started receiving the blessings one by one.  Neither he nor Sarah could believe their own eyes when they hold a child of their own.  Sarah was astonished to see that she had given birth to a baby boy at the age where she should be nursing her grandchildren.

Likewise God promises the reader that He has started to do unbelievable things in your life too.  His miracles have started happening in your lives and you are going to receive them very soon.  Just remain in the Presence of God and receive all His blessings.
Prayer:  Lord, I now confess that I am going to receive many miracles in my life since you have promised me those.  Thank You.