“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” —Jude 1:24-25
In our walk in this world many things can cause us to stumble–circumstances, people’s actions and words, attacks of the enemy, and our own old fleshly nature. In these moments of vulnerability and hurt when we feel alone, forsaken and hope diminishing, our God is at the ready to reach out and catch us and put our feet once again on solid ground. Jesus is the “Author and Perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2); “The Lord will perfect that which concerns me” (Psalms 138:8); “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).
In other words, God ain’t done with you! He is bigger than whatever circumstances have caused you to stumble and most importantly it says He will “make you to stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy!” Hallelujah! I believe that the presence of His glory isn’t just about the “sweet by-and-by” but a tangible benefit of His kingdom in the now. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). Dwell in the secret place of the Most High, abide under the shadow of the Almighty (Psalms 91:1). “Have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19). These are just a few of the many scriptures that speak of us being in His presence here on earth.
I heard a preacher say, “Five minutes in the presence of God can undo twenty years of pain and grief.” I’ve found this to be true. Basking in the glory of His presence undoes us. All the darkness, hurt, pain, doubt…flee from that glory. The Greek word for “glory” is doxa, it means the revelation of what a person or thing is. It is His substance and nature expressed outwardly. I John 3:2 says that when we see Him we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is. We will see the fullness of His glory and be changed in an instance. We are changed whenever we spend time in that glorious presence. It is a tangible, real thing…His glory…and it is worth pursuing. He’s worth pursuing and the reward is great.
How do we enter His presence? First, as mentioned in James 4:8 above we need to draw near to Him. We need to ask Him to help us come close. It’s His grace that makes this possible, not something we earn. The Father longs to be close to His children and will gladly open that door when we come to Him in faith through grace. Second, Psalms 100:4 says to “enter His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise.” Worship ushers us into His presence. Also, building ourselves up on our most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit (Jude 1:20) propels us into that spiritual place of His presence.
In the meantime, here is a link to some powerful praise and worship music to help usher us into His presence…
EDIT (11-16-13): Unfortunately the video referenced has been removed from YouTube. My apologies…
(originally published 6/27/13)