Degrees of God's Presence

The presence of God is an interesting thing. On one hand, we know that God is everywhere. But his presence certainly seems more intense at certain times and in certain places. Many of us have been to worship services where God’s presence seems to manifest in a powerful way. Does that mean God isn’t there at other times? Not at all. But it does suggest that there are levels or degrees of God’s presence.

Think of it on a personal level. Christians pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit, but we also acknowledge the ongoing, indwelling Spirit. The Holy Spirit never leaves us, but there are times when he’s there in a more obvious, powerful way. This tells me two things: (1) We should never take the presence of God for granted, and (2) If some of God’s presence is a good thing, more is even better!

I hesitate to speak of God’s presence as if it’s quantifiable—because doing so makes the Holy Spirit seem like an impersonal force. But if we use terms like “filled” or “power” when referring to God’s spirit (which scripture does), such misconceptions are a real possibility.

Moses didn’t take God’s presence for granted. In Exodus 33, God promised to send a messenger ahead of the Israelites, but Moses insisted on God himself going with them. (You either have to be really crazy or really confident about where you stand with God before you start insisting that he do something.) Moses wasn’t talking about God’s omnipresence here, he was referring to God’s manifest presence—Moses knew that God being with them would make all the difference.

You’d think if there was anyone who wouldn’t have to ask God to come along, it would be the leader of his chosen people. God initially balks at going with the Israelites, but something happens between Exodus 33:5 and 33:14 to change his mind. Moses pleads with God in the tent of meeting and by the end of the exchange, God tells Moses, “I’ll go myself, and I’ll help you... I’ll do exactly what you’ve asked because you have my special approval, and I know you by name.”

Think about your last Bible study, youth group, worship service, or staff meeting. Did you earnestly pray for God to show up or did you just take for granted that he’d be there? (“He’s God. He’s everywhere!”) Sometimes it takes determination to move beyond the idea of the omnipresence of God so we can experience his special presence. It’s the point where we go from casually inviting God to be with us to being desperate for him to show up.