A Chapel Filled With Presence
Our weekly chapel services in college were generally amazing. I say generally because there were always those ministers who forgot to kneel before God before they stood before us. Those messages were dry, lifeless, and boring—filled with head knowledge but lacking the breath of the Holy Spirit that lifts and encourages the souls of all who hear.
Most, however, were wonderfully refreshing. I always loved to hear the President of our university speak. He was an elderly English gentleman who had pastored in that island nation across the pond for many years.
He was a tender, fatherly man, but not a great orator or teacher. His messages were filled with his passion for Jesus and dripping with the love of God. At some point in his message, he would feel the urge to lead us in a chorus. The problem was he could not carry a tune.
He would tell the pianist to play a certain song. As soon as the pianist began playing, our President began a desperate search for the right key. He would raise and lower his voice, trying to land on the correct key—which he could never find. The student body would always rescue him from his embarrassing moment by singing the song loud and clear to drown out his continual search for the lost key.
One particular service, he shared a very passionate message about the love of God and the wonder of His will for our lives. As he spoke, the presence of God filled the sanctuary. Heaven had suddenly invaded our chapel. The presence of God seemed so tangible you could reach out and take a handful. After a time of prayer ended, the auditorium began to empty as the students returned to their respective classes.
As I stood talking to some fellow students, out of the corner of my eye I saw a friend sitting quietly with his face in his hands. My heart was drawn to him, so I made my way over to where he was seated, praying.
I sat on the pew a little distance from him. Tears ran down his face as he sat quietly in the presence of God. He looked over at me, smiled, and said softly, “I needed this so much. I have a major decision to make, and I just got my answer.”
As we sat there in the presence of God, a peace settled over us. We spoke for a few moments, then I headed to my next class.
For some reason, that chapel service remains fresh in my memory. I think it is because of the result of God’s presence on my friend. I can still see his face as he looked at me after receiving the wisdom and direction he needed from the Holy Spirit.
My friend received his answer as he waited in God’s presence.
Sometimes, I think we forget to take advantage of the presence of God. We either take it for granted, or we are trapped in the web of our schedule, convinced of our own ability to do life ourselves—our way. And we therefore fail to stop the merry-go-round for a moment and take advantage of His presence.
It reminds me of a statement in the book of Exodus:
“The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.” — Exodus 33:11
When I read that verse, I can see my friend sitting on that pew with his face in his hands in the presence of God. He, like Joshua, was Staying In The Tent because of God’s presence. He remained, knowing all he would ever need was right there in the presence filling that tent—and our chapel.
A Hotel Room and a Heavy Decision
I was in a meeting facing a grave decision for our ministry and future. The seriousness of the decision weighed heavily on me—so heavy it seemed to press the breath from my lungs. My mind raced from one thing to another, playing out various scenarios as I endeavored to think. It seemed a battle was raging within me, with two opposing forces at war. How could I make a wise decision in such a state?
As soon as I got to my hotel room, I fell on my face and began to pray. At first, it seemed no one was listening, and my cries for wisdom and understanding were bouncing feebly off the ceiling.
Then, without warning, I suddenly felt a peace coming over me. It was a tangible peace that was not due to something I had done. Someone else was present in that hotel room with me. In a moment, I was enveloped in an unexplainable peace.
Not saying a word, I knelt in what seemed to be a capsule of tangible peace. My soul suddenly settled; my thoughts quit running to and fro; even my body relaxed as a knowing flooded my being. I knew all was well—that God was present with me, guiding my steps in His will and purpose.
As I knelt in that hotel room in the presence of God, the answer became clear. The answer did not come from outside of me, but from within me. It had been there all along but was clouded and hidden from view by all the noise of my own thoughts and the voices of others who spoke from their human understanding.
It all became so clear in the presence of God—crystal clear. As I knelt there with a peace that passes understanding and a knowing that only the Holy Spirit can give, I thought to myself how simple and wonderful this is—all I needed was right there in God’s presence. I do not need to know everything to do or the choice to make myself. All I need is in Jesus.
Staying In The Tent
Recently, I visited a church where we live. As worship began, I prayed silently to God, “Lord, I need to hear from You this morning. Speak a clear word to me in our time together.”
As soon as my prayer ended, the worship leader began singing, “This is the air I breathe. Your holy presence. Living in me.”
I lifted my hands toward heaven and whispered, “Thank You.” Immediately, His sweet, wonderful presence began to flood over me. Tears made their way down my face as I heard His sweet voice whispering deep within. He knew what I needed. He prepared the moment before it happened.
The Holy Spirit spoke to the worship leader the week before that Sunday to include that song in the worship set. He knew I would be there. He knew the prayer I would pray and the moment I would pray it. He was literally waiting in that moment for me to arrive so He could wrap me in His presence.
Joshua was just a servant. He did whatever Moses needed him to do. He did not know all God had planned for him. But as he waited there in the presence of God, he was being prepared for his future. That is why he was Staying In The Tent.
The presence of God is real. It is a tangible reality. What do I mean? If you and I were together and I touched your hand, you would know it. You could sense my touch because I am a real person. And so is the Holy Spirit. He is a real person—not with a human body of flesh—yet He is real, as real as you are.
Jesus compared the Holy Spirit’s presence to the wind. We cannot see it, but we can absolutely feel its presence and see its results.
Have you ever felt the wind? Of course you have. And you can also sense—and more importantly, experience—the presence of the Holy Spirit.
How would you like for Jesus to walk up to you and talk to you person to person—to answer your questions, erasing all doubt from your mind?
You and I have that in the person of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said the Father would give us “another Comforter.” The word “another” means a person just like the one referred to. Jesus was referring to Himself. He said the Father would give us another person just like Jesus who would be with us forever.
Being in the presence of the Holy Spirit is exactly the same as being with Jesus—no difference at all. I can be with Jesus by being with the Holy Spirit.
But just like Joshua—and also my friend—we must be willing to Stay In The Tent…to wait on Him and with Him.
“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”