“As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalms 42:1-2 NKJV)
Moses knew the importance of God’s presence. He felt they would live a life of defeat if they walked without God’s presence. Hence he told God that they would only wish to leave the place they were in if God’s presence would be with them (Exodus 33:15). Jesus said it is in the presence of God that we could only bear fruit if we abide in Him (John 15:4). David longed and thirsted for God’s presence (Ps 42:1-2). If there is one place that Isaiah got transformed completely and set him on the sincere path of serving God, then it was when he came into God’s presence. His sins were exposed, he felt so dirty and cried out for God’s mercy to change him. God touched him with a live coal and he was able to change (Isaiah 6).
Every believer is called into an intimate relationship and this can only be attained by thirsting and hungering for His presence like the patriarchs of old did. When we get physically hungry, many of us begin to look for something to appease the hunger. Hunger prompts us to seek something to fill us up, even if it is something that is not really good for us. Same with God presence, hunger for God is the longing to encounter Him, to be with Him, and to be filled with His Spirit. When we are hungry for God and His Presence, we will do whatever it takes to get close to Him.
The place of intimacy is where we will catch, not only the revelation He wants to give us, but we will also catch His heart. When we hunger and thirst for God, we will seek Him, and when we seek Him, we will be filled and empowered. As we behold the fiery eyes of Jesus in his presence, the Holy Spirit transforms us from one glory to another. In God’s presence we receive mercy, healing, revelation of our sins, purging of our sins, joy, favour, honour, glory, protection from the wicked and evil tongues, rest among many others. Let us arise and become the Davids in our generation who will not seek the hand of God all the time but will seek God for who He is. We need people who will go after God. God is looking for people who will know that the reason they are created in this earth is to praise God.