The Gift of His Presence

Recently I was talking to someone who spoke of a church that did not have a time of worship in their service. They said “oh, they sing a couple of songs, sometimes they’re Christian songs, but it’s not what I would call worship.” There is a disturbing trend away from seeking the presence of God through corporate worship. Even in churches that have great worship, many people come late and miss this wonderful opportunity to connect with God. I love what Moses said to God when he had an opportunity to leave his season of wandering in the desert to enter a land of opulence, “If Your presence doesn’t go with us, then we do not want to leave here.” Moses knew that a life lived outside of the presence of God is empty of purpose and direction. They did not have luxury in the wilderness, but they did have the tabernacle of worship where God’s presence lived. Worship invokes the presence of God. The Bible says, “He inhabits” or “sits down in the midst” of our praises. The power of God’s kingdom is transferred through worship. Without worship a church service lacks God’s power and presence. If we don’t hunger for God’s presence, what are we hungering for? And if God is not present, I’m not sure why we would want to be there.