Practicing the Presence of God
There's a refrain in the life of Joseph that says, "...and the Lord God was with him." Amidst all the difficulties that Joseph faced, at each and every turn the Lord God was with him. And that, my frien…
Practicing the Presence of God
There's a refrain in the life of Joseph that says, "...and the Lord God was with him." Amidst all the difficulties that Joseph faced, at each and every turn the Lord God was with him. And that, my friend, is what our daily lives are to be about. Let me share four principles to practice the presence of God in your life:
Express Your God-Given Difference
When God saved you, He made you unique. Joseph was given a mark of nobility — the robe of many colors. What does that mean to you? As a child of God, you are a prince or a princess. You are a co-heir with Christ (see Gal. 4:7). We're a twice-born people in a world of once-born people, and we're going to be going against the tide most of the time. What we believe starts at a different source, it follows a different course, and it ends at a different conclusion. The Bible calls us a peculiar people (see Deut. 14:2, Titus 2:14, 1 Peter 2:9).
Explore Your God-Given Dreams
Let God put a dream in your heart. God spoke to Joseph through a dream. He may speak to you some other way. But the point is this: God has a plan for your life. Would you like to know God's plan and will for your life?
Romans 12:1-2 holds the secret: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
There's the formula. Presentation + transformation = realization. Present yourself to Him. Sign the contract and tell Him to fill it in. Don't be afraid of that, because when you present yourself to Him, then you're transformed — what is on the inside comes to the surface. You don't find the will of God; the will of God finds you.
Endure Your God-Given Difficulties
When there's a God-given dream, there will be some God-given difficulties. Joseph was scorned by his brothers. He was thrown into a pit. He was sold as a slave. He was falsely accused. He languished in prison. Was God out of control? Not for a second.
Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." God is going to allow you (not cause you) to have difficulties in life. Do you have a dream that lies shattered? God is not through with you. No matter what Satan does, no matter what happens, God is in control!
Enlist Your God-Given Dynamic
One philosopher said that God is a circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere. There's nowhere where God is not. When the Bible says that God was with Joseph, it means that God was for him. God was always working on his behalf.
Do you know what I want? I want God with me. I want there to be something about Adrian that you cannot explain apart from the fact that God is with me. I don't want God to take His hand off of my life. How about you?
