Living in the Presence of God

The Bible gives us great promises about the blessing of God’s presence. Perhaps the best passage is Palm 16:11, where David states, “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Considering this wonderful blessing, how do we practice living in the presence of God?

I first heard this question on the radio. I was driving down I-90 on a beautiful fall day with a light snowfall on the top of the Big Horn mountains in Wyoming. Seeing God’s beauty in nature helped spur my thinking. I thought to myself that there are many ways to seek God’s presence in our lives, but the key is that we practice living in God’s presence. Practice is an action word. Practice indicates a willingness to change or to be diligent or to get better at something.

As I drove down the road, God reminded me of the fruit of the Spirit. Paul writes in Gal 5:22–23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” By God’s grace, practicing these virtues helps us live in the presence of God Almighty. Do you practice living in the presence of God?

Rick Vallery, Elder