Oct 23 - How to Experience God's Presence (2) SUBMIT

Do you want more of the presence of God?

Today I offer the second of a three-step process.

Yesterday we said that the first step to experiencing more of the Presence of God is to choose. We must want it. We must choose it. We must do it. According to Joshua 3, that means stepping bolding into the flood. And it means choosing time with God instead of time with other activities that we normally choose instead.

Today we take the second step: Submit. Here are our guiding verses …

•      Joshua 1:4 [God said … When you] cross … into the land … 6 be … 7 careful to act in accordance with all the law … 8 [Furthermore,] this book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night … 11 [Then Joshua commanded] “… in three days you are to cross over the Jordan, to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God gives you to possess.'"
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•      Joshua 3:15 [When] the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the … flood, 16 the waters flowing from above stood still.
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•      2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves … and pray … and seek my face … and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.

Step 2: Submit

The biggest barrier to experiencing the presence of God is …

… us.

We say that we want God, but we continually want to do things our way. (We call that disobedience.)

We say that we want God, but we keep insisting that we have a better way and that we know what’s best for ourselves. (We call that pride.)

We say that we want God, but we hold back parts of our lives, refusing to give God full access – “He can have me, except he can’t have my ___________.” (We call that a failure-to-submit-everything-to-him.)

We say that we want more of God, but flat out like some of our bad habits. (We call that sin.)

The passages above reveal the next step. It is humbleness, obedience, and submission.

      1.     2 Chronicles 7:14 implores us to “humble [our]selves,” and humbleness is obviously a form of submission.

      2.     Joshua 1:7 tells us to “be careful to act in accordance with all the law.” Obedience is another obvious form of submission. And notice the percentage of obedience that God requires. It’s 100%. We’re called to devote ALL. It’s no more picking and choosing and excusing.

Yes, we’ll still sin and fall short. And yes, God will absolutely still forgive. But we must not continue being so naïve as to that when can dwell in his presence when we’re still intentionally living in (and excusing) sin.

Assignment: My favorite way to discuss this is to attack the one big thing that’s holding you back. You know what it is. Name it? What’s your one big thing that you’ve so far continued to refuse to give to God?

Assignment: Today, what do you know you need to change?