Feeling the Presence of God

Acts 17:28, “for in Him we live and move and exist…”

I have often described the presence of God as a feeling, and even used the phrase “I felt the presence of God” as if somehow there was some physical stirring or emotional high that was in fact God’s presence. But this really is a grossly inadequate representation of what really is the awareness of the presence of God.

We do not “feel” God presence. Sometimes there are feelings in response to our awareness of His presence. For example in the presence of God you might feel conviction. Whereas the emotional response of guilty feelings to someone’s condemnation would not be associated with the awareness of God in that “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.” (Rom 8:1)

Some feel euphoria and equate that with God’s presence, but the two are completely unrelated. New lovers feel the hormonal euphoria of being in love. Addicts feel the euphoria of feeding their addictions. Very few would argue drugs and alcohol create a euphoria associated with the presence of God, but there are plenty of people addicted to the endorphin released by spending, and doing it in the name of God, and then attributing the following endorphin rush to the presence of God.

In fact “feeling” anything can be a very dangerous thing, particularly following those feelings. Happiness is about happenstance whereas Joy if a fruit of the spirit. Happiness is dependent upon circumstance and outcome whereas Joy is only dependent upon God.

If we look at Christ we find that He did actually follow the emotion of compassion, but that is really the only example I could find of our Savior following emotion. In every other case He went opposite to the emotion. The emotions caused by hunger were ignored. The opportunities to yield to the euphoric high when stroking one’s own ego in pride were never followed. The emotions and stress of not wanting to go to the cross were crucified with Him actually going willfully. Christ example was just because something feels good does not mean God is in it.

Driving this point home for me this morning my friend Jim sent me an excerpt from Bernhard Dohrmann’s “Let them be Runners!” In it Bernahard says, “When your feelings rule you line of sight, you become truly blind.”

The presence of God is not in feelings. Obedience to God is not dictated by feelings. Our salvation is not a function of feelings. Feelings are chemical reactions in the least spiritual of things… our flesh. Joy is a spiritual reaction to the presence of God. Peace is a spiritual reaction to the presence of God. And the presence of God is a spiritual awareness, not a feeling.

This past Sunday worship in church for me was prime example of awareness of His presence. The music is normally very good where I attend but last Sunday the mix was horrible. Normally this would distract me, but as  worship went on I became acutely aware of His presence. Nothing emotional about it, just simply connecting and allowing my spirit to be aware. After all His word does say that when two or more are gathered in His name than He is in their midst.

And for many that will read this blog you understand this “feeling”, this awareness of God in worship. But what I am here to tell you is that He is ALWAYS there in that situation. If you or I do not “feel” Him, if we are not AWARE, then it is our issue and not His.

Furthermore that presence is ALWAYS there inside us. Oh sure often life will pull us into 100% flesh awareness, but His presence is always in us waiting for us to reconnect and become aware. After all, the same Savior who promised His presence in gathering together also spoke this in John 14:19-20, “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”

What does the presence of God feel like? I have no idea. But I can tell you what it looks like. And I can also tell you that if you have given your life to Christ, then that presence is in you, and He is in you, just as He promised. It is up to you to be aware and to practice His presence.