Your Presence, Lord!

I am glad you are here. Come on in. I’d love to fix you a warm cup of coffee or tea and join me by our favorite spot in our home, the cozy fireplace. Grab a lap blanket. Breathe. Enjoy a slower pace for a bit. Our family has many fireside chats. Would it be ok if we have a fireside chat together? Simply sharing stories. One of my daughter’s gave me this sweet coffee cup a few years ago and I treasure the reminder as I sip my delicious tea. Be Present!

It is such a great reminder when I get caught up in the busyness of life and forget to be present. I forget to notice God’s presence around me and in me. Today, I invite us to Be Present. Right where you are. I am really glad you are here. A friend sent this reminder in a text a few days ago. As I was writing this blog post, it seemed very timely.

I would love to chat about presence. God’s presence and our presence and why it matters. Take a minute and think about the people you have been around this week and their presence. Some spaces I have come into, I have immediately felt peace and life. Some spaces I have come into, I have felt hurried, unease, anxious. 

God has a Presence too!

Your Presence, Lord, is what we long for. Teach us today more about your presence!

Sharing stories is one of life’s greatest gifts! It is how we are known and connect with one another. Hearing people’s stories and their life journey is a privilege. Stories are what connect us.  Everyone has a story.

Ever since I was a little girl, the Bible has been the most treasured story of my life. God’s story is one like no other in history.  It has caused me to wrestle and question, leaving me speechless.  It has informed everything I believe and how I choose to live, left me wondering and in awe. Dropped me to my knees, caused me to worship, reminded me we all mess up royally. We have been invited to know God, His Son and the Spirit through each and every page to experience love, forgiveness, redemption and restoration. 

Growing up, my parents took me to church where I was introduced to God and the Bible. I am grateful for their faithfulness to the church and to God.

I love what Dr. John H Walton, Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton, shares about reading the narratives in the Bible.  “Long before Christ came to die for us, God bestowed an act of grace. Long before Christ had come to live with us, God had given an immeasurable act of Grace! God gave us his revelation of himself. He gave of himself by telling us about himself. An act of grace!”  When reading narratives in the Bible, our reading strategy should be, we want to know God’s story. Our first question should be, “What did I just learn about God?” 

I wonder if we ask ourselves that question as we read Scripture? What did I learn about God?

This story we have been given is how God reveals who He is and what He is about! What a gift to be given a unified story of God revealing who He is and His character. The Bible is about God and His invitation to Know Him, notice His presence every single day and participate in the kingdom’s purposes today and plans that He has given you! 

I wonder what story has deeply impacted you as a child? Maybe your story was difficult to remember and share or could be quite the opposite. Maybe you didn’t grow up in church or reading the Bible. Maybe you found it really hard to understand and comprehend. Maybe you have never thought about what you believe about God. 

I would love to hear your story. I truly mean that. Take a minute to share A little about you! Share a little about your relationship with God? What do you need or desire to help you in growing in your faith?  Anything else you would like to share? 

Thank you for sharing your story with me! 

Let’s get back to Presence for a bit. What is presence? Why does it matter? God’s Presence is in the stories we read about in His Word. His Presence was manifest in His Son when He came to earth. Jesus came to show us what God’s Presence is like.

“The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you.  I'm leaving you well and whole. That's my parting gift to you. Peace. I don't leave you the way you're used to being left - feeling abandoned, bereft. So don't be upset. Don't be distraught."You've heard me tell you, 'I'm going away, and I'm coming back.' 

If you loved me, you would be glad that I'm on my way to the Father because the Father is the goal and purpose of my life.

John 14:26-28 MSG

What can we learn about God’s Presence here? He is a Friend. He will make things plain to you. He will remind you of things. He is Peace. Oh yea, Jesus shares, “The Father is the goal and purpose of my life!”

Throughout God’s word, Jesus shares what the Holy Spirit’s presence does. He comforts, convicts, counsels, teaches, guides, intercedes, creates, sanctifies, saves, regenerates, indwells, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent and eternal. (and so much more!) Jesus shares that His Spirit is HOLY and bears fruit.  

”But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” 

Galatians 5:22-25 NLT

Presence Matters! Knowing God’s presence matters. His true and beautiful presence. His life changing presence. It matters because the more we know and experience God’s presence and decide to become like Him, the more we share His presence with others in our lives. Friends and enemies. The more we participate in thy kingdom come, thy will be done. 

The most amazing and unbelievable thing about God’s presence is….

He does the work! His presence changes us from the inside out. We get to show up and receive. Showing up sometimes is the hardest step.The work on the cross was His act of doing for us what we couldn’t do on our own. We will never be able to do it on our own. We will mess up and it will feel at times like we are taking two steps forward and two steps backwards.

BUT, God uses broken messy people to do His work in the world BECAUSE this is HIS story!! His work. His inviting us to a grand story where He is the center of the story.

When you experience love or joy, this is God’s presence. When you experience peace, joy, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control, conviction, comfort and so much more, this is God’s presence. When you experience beauty, goodness and truth, this is God’s presence. 

The problem is that many times we grow up with a false image(s) of God and aren’t sure we know how to notice His presence.  All sorts of life experiences can alter how we view God. This is why it is so important that we know the God of the Bible. When Jesus came on the scene, He shared that we will know the Father by knowing HIm. He was pointing us to our God that we couldn't see.

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” 

A. W. Tozer. 

I work every week with women who are desiring to know God and His presence and notice Him in their everyday lives. Women who feel stuck and struggling to feel God’s presence. They come to realize their false images of God. I would love the opportunity to know your story and join you in your desire to know Him. Reach out for a free coffee chat to learn more about having someone who is a trained listener to companion with you. Check out holypause.com to learn more about spiritual direction. Feel free to email me at tracietack@gmail.com.

Let’s get back to our question about the Holy Spirit and what He is like…

A.W. Tozer shares, “Now what will we find Him to be like? He will be exactly like Jesus. You have read your New Testament, and you know what Jesus is like, and the Holy Spirit is exactly like Jesus, for Jesus was God and the Spirit is God, and the Father is exactly like the Son; and you can know what Jesus is like by knowing what the Father is like, and you can know what the Spirit is like by knowing what Jesus is like.  He is the epitome of love, kindliness, geniality, warm attractiveness and sweetness. And that is exactly what the Holy Ghost is, for He is the Spirit of the Father and the Son. Amen. (awtozer.com) 

Think about those you have interacted with this week. What was your presence like? When we know God’s Presence and we allow His Presence to grow in us to heal us and change us to be more like Him, we become people that shine His Light in a dark world. 

This is a holy pause reflection just for you! Find a quiet place, spend some time pausing, praying and following. God is with you! This can be done individually, with a friend or group. 

Pause to notice what is going on in and around you. Jesus is with you.

What can we learn about God’s presence in this verse in Galatians? Pause to think about each fruit. Which one do you desire to grow and practice today?

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

What might be keeping you from noticing God’s presence in His word or around you? 

This year, I am inviting others to create a space in their home or office called ‘Pausing to Notice God’s Presence’ each month!  We are going to pause each month and notice where God's presence is at work. I would love for you to join us! Check out the details at the Holy Pause Facebook Group or follow on Instagram~@holypause. 

Pray to invite the Lord into a conversation.

Spend a few minutes in some quiet. What are you noticing as you have paused? Invite the Lord into a conversation. Maybe you want to go for a walk and just be with God or spend time sharing your heart.

“Lord, we long to know you! Help us to get to know you! Help us to know your story and be your people. We don't want to be obstacles that you pass by but instruments that you can use. Help us to be willing to be part of that process.” (prayer by Dr. John H. Walton)

I love what Robert Mulholland shares in His book "Invitation to a Deeper Journey”, Our spiritual formation is "the process of being formed in the image of Christ for the sake of others."  

I will never forget our counselor sharing that if parents do the heart work and healing in their own story, the kids won’t need counseling. Healing has ripple effects. Pause a minute and let that sink in. The work of knowing God and knowing ourselves is crucial and necessary. 

Follow and ask the Lord to help you go where He goes.

“Let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” Galatians 5:25b NLT

Would you like to learn more about God?

Would you like to learn more about pursuing the purposes and plans God has for you? 

How is He inviting you to take the next step today? 

Don’t journey alone. We were created for community. I get to journey with women who are searching for healing, wholeness and freedom in Christ and learning how to walk with Him  in the midst of their everyday lives. This is the abundant life. JESUS is the answer but many times we need space to process and notice what keeps us from growing and noticing God’s presence. Gather a group of four women and start a Discernment Group together! To learn more visit Discernment Group.

Thank you for joining me today. You are His Beloved! You are seen and loved and fully known by Him. Now, take that gift of His presence and offer it to a world that desperately needs His presence. May you share the Gospel and be the Gospel.

More of Your Presence, LORD!  Let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Amen

Finding beauty in the small things,

Tracie Tackett

holypause.com