Identifying Areas of Life Where God's Presence is Needed
The presence of God is sought in various aspects of life, particularly during times of distress, in the pursuit of spiritual understanding, and in the daily walk of faith. The Psalmist expresses a deep longing for God's presence, stating, "My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When shall I come and appear in God’s presence?" [1]. This yearning for divine presence is a recurring theme in biblical thought.
In moments of affliction, individuals often turn to God for support and deliverance. Prayers frequently include petitions for God to consider one's troubles, to provide His presence and support, and for the Holy Spirit not to be withdrawn [2]. Such prayers also seek divine comfort, mitigation of troubles, and pardon from sin [2]. The prophet Job, in his suffering, expressed a desire to know where he might find God, indicating a need for God's presence during profound personal trials [12]. Similarly, the Psalmist pleads, "O God, be not far from me... make haste for my help," recognizing God as the ultimate source of assistance in times of need [11].
Beyond personal suffering, the search for God's presence extends to a broader human experience. The Apostle Paul, in Acts 17:27, suggests that humanity is meant "to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find him," emphasizing that God is not distant from anyone [3]. This search for God is described as the "high end of all these arrangements of Divine Power, Wisdom, and Love" [9]. While humans may "grope their way in the dark" in this search, the difficulty in finding God is attributed not to His distance, but to humanity's distance from Him due to sin [9]. John Gill notes that this search should lead people to know, fear, serve, and glorify God as their Creator and Benefactor [10].
God's presence is also understood as foundational to the life of His people. God is described as the "habitation of his people," providing rest and safety [4]. His throne is founded on justice and judgment, and He "inhabits eternity" [4]. The Old Testament tabernacle and temple were intended as tangible representations of God's presence among His people, though it was God, not humanity, who determined the terms of access to Him [8, 7]. Adam Clarke interprets God's dwelling among the Israelites as a sign that He would be a "continual resident in their houses and in their hearts," becoming the sole object of their worship [7]. This divine indwelling is contingent upon acknowledgment, dependence, gratitude, and obedience to God [7]. The concept of God's "face" in scripture often signifies His presence, favor, or even anger, highlighting the multifaceted nature of encountering the divine [5]. Diligence is required in seeking God, obeying Him, and striving for perfection, cultivating Christian graces, and guarding against defilement [6].
Sources
- Psalms “Psalms 42:2 (BSB) — My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When shall I come and appear in God’s presence?”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Affliction, Prayer Under — Exhortation to -- Jas 5:13. That God would consider our trouble -- 2Ki 19:16; Ne 9:32; Ps 9:13; La 5:1. For the presence and support of God -- Ps 10:1; 102:2. That the Holy Spirit may not be withdrawn -- Ps 51:11. For divine comfort -- Ps 4:6; 119:76. For mitigation of troubles -- Ps 39:12,13. For deliverance -- Ps 25:17,22; 39:10; Isa 64:9-12; Jer 17:14. For pardon and deliverance from sin -- Ps 39:8; 51:1; 79:8. That we may be turned to God -- Ps 80:7; 85:4-6; Jer 31:18. For divine teaching and direction -- Job 34:32; Ps 27:11; 143:10. Fo”
- Acts “Acts 17:27 (LEB) — to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find him. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us,”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Habitation — God is the habitation of his people, who find rest and safety in him (Ps. 71:3; 91:9). Justice and judgment are the habitation of God's throne (Ps. 89:14, Heb. mekhon, "foundation"), because all his acts are founded on justice and judgment. (See Ps. 132:5, 13; Eph. 2:22, of Canaan, Jerusalem, and the temple as God's habitation.) God inhabits eternity (Isa. 57:15), i.e., dwells not only among men, but in eternity, where time is unknown; and "the praises of Israel" (Ps. 22:3), i.e., he dwells among those praises and is continually surrounded by them.”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Face — Means simply presence, as when it is recorded that Adam and Eve hid themselves from the "face [R.V., presence'] of the Lord God" (Gen. 3:8; comp. Ex. 33:14, 15, where the same Hebrew word is rendered "presence"). The "light of God's countenance" is his favour (Ps. 44:3; Dan. 9:17). "Face" signifies also anger, justice, severity (Gen. 16:6, 8; Ex. 2:15; Ps. 68:1; Rev. 6:16). To "provoke God to his face" (Isa. 65:3) is to sin against him openly. The Jews prayed with their faces toward the temple and Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:38, 44, 48; Dan. 6:10). To "see God's face”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Diligence — Christ, an example -- Mr 1:35; Lu 2:49. Required by God in Seeking him. -- 1Ch 22:19; Heb 11:6. Obeying him. -- De 6:17; 11:13. Hearkening to him. -- Isa 55:2. Striving after perfection. -- Php 3:13,14. Cultivating Christian graces. -- 2Pe 1:5. Keeping the souls. -- De 4:9. Keeping the heart. -- Pr 4:23. Labours of love. -- Heb 6:10-12. Following every good work. -- 1Ti 5:10. Guarding against defilement. -- Heb 12:15. Seeking to be found spotless. -- 2Pe 3:14. Making our call, &c, sure. -- 2Pe 1:10. Self-examination. -- Ps 77:6. Lawful business. -- Pr 27:”
- Exodus (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Exodus 29:46: And they shall know that I am the Lord their God - That is, They shall acknowledge God, and their infinite obligations to him. In a multitude of places in Scripture the word know should be thus understood. That I may dwell among them - For without this acknowledgment and consequent dependence on and gratitude and obedience to God, they could not expect him to dwell among them. By dwelling among the people God shows that he would be a continual resident in their houses and in their hearts; that he would be their God - the sole object of their religious worship, to w”
- Exodus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Exodus 31:11: 31:11 The point throughout this entire section (25:1–40:38) is that God intends to meet his people’s need for some tangible representation of his presence, but it must be done in the way he has commanded. He, not we, determines the terms by which we come to him.”
- Acts (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Acts 17:27: That they should seek the Lord--That is the high end of all these arrangements of Divine Power, Wisdom, and Love. if haply they might feel after him--as men groping their way in the dark. and find him--a lively picture of the murky atmosphere of Natural Religion. though he be not far from every one of us--The difficulty of finding God outside the pale of revealed religion lies not in His distance from us, but in our distance from Him through the blinding effect of sin.”
- Acts (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Acts 17:27: That they should seek the Lord,.... Or "God", as the Alexandrian copy and others, and the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions read; their Creator, and kind Benefactor, and who has appointed their time of life, and their habitations for them; and this should engage them to seek to know him, who has done all this for them, and to fear and serve him, and to glorify his name: if haply they might feel after him, and find him; which shows, that though it is possible for men, by a contemplation of the perfections of God, visible in the works of creation and provide”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 71:12: O God, be not far from me,.... God is everywhere, at hand and afar off, with regard to his being, power, and providence; his glorious presence is in heaven, his gracious presence is with his people; but, when he hides his face, he seems to be at a distance; and this they cannot bear, and therefore deprecate it; see Psa 10:1; O my God, make haste for my help; he knew that his help was in God, and that there was none for him elsewhere; and that he could help him when none else could, and was a present help in time of trouble; and it being such a time with him, and hi”
- Job (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Job 23:2: O that I knew where I might find him,.... That is, God, who is understood, though not expressed, a relative without an antecedent, as in Psa 87:1; Jarchi supplies, and interprets it, "my Judge", from Job 23:7; and certain it is Job did desire to find God as a judge sitting on his throne, doing right, that he might have justice done to him: indeed he might be under the hidings of God's face, which added to his affliction, and made it the heavier; in which case, the people of God are at a loss to know where he is, and "how" to find him, as Mr. Broughton renders the words h”