Psalms 84:10-11 (NKJV) For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold. From those who walk uprightly.
As believers, we should have the same attitude as the Psalmist that it is such a blessing to stay in God’s presence, and we should learn to enjoy being in the His presence. It is in His presence that we are reminded He is our shield; He is faithful like the sun that rises daily giving us life; He will grant us grace (strength for our days and favour with men), and not withhold any good thing from those who walk uprightly. The glory is His presence with us wherever we go.
In God’s presence is the fullness of joy and pleasure evermore because He gives the assurance. Faith will rise in His presence. It is better to sit with and tune into an omnipresent God where all wisdom flows than to be in the presence of 1,000 human experts. There is infinite wisdom in His presence because you are communing with Him, and there is a knowledge or a higher form of wisdom being transferred from the Lord. Knowing He is with and for us fuels our faith and confidence. Our hearts will also be mouldable during this time with the Lord.
Exodus 33:11a (NKJV) So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.
Moses took time to share with God his struggles, especially about the stubbornness of the people of Israel. God never leaves or forsakes us, especially when He has instructed us to do something for Him. He will help us just like He instructed Moses on what he should do next. Meanwhile, Moses also had the opportunity to plead and reason with God why He should not utterly destroy the people of Israel despite their sinning against Him. Likewise, we are also given a privileged position to pray and intercede for others before God.
John 15:15 (NKJV) No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
God wants to speak to us personally because we are His children and friends. Sadly, many people don’t have time for Him or to listen to Him. They might have a list of prayer items but might not stay in God’s presence long enough to listen to His wisdom. We need to remember that His presence is in the courts of the Lord, and that’s where we are blessed.
Sermon Series：The Presence of God
作神的朋友
诗篇84:10-11 在你的院宇住一日，胜似在别处住千日；宁可在我神殿中看门，不愿住在恶人的帐棚里。因为耶和华神是日头，是盾牌，要赐下恩惠和荣耀；他未尝留下一样好处不给那些行动正直的人。
作为信徒，我们应该与诗篇作者持相同的态度，意识到与神同在是一种莫大的祝福，我们应当学会享受祂的同在。正是于祂的同在中，我们被提醒祂是我们的盾牌；祂信实如每天升起的太阳赐与我们生命；祂必赐给我们恩典（我们在世时的力量与人的眷顾）；并且将一切美好的事物慷慨地赐予那些行事正直的人。祂的同在是我们随去随在的荣耀。
神的同在中充满了满足的喜乐和永恒的愉悦，因为祂赐下了确据。在祂的同在中，信心油然而起。与其置身于一千个人类专家之中，不如与那位无所不在的神同坐，聆听祂的智慧流淌。因为祂的同在中充满了无尽的智慧，因为你正在与祂团契，有知识或更高层次的智慧正在从主那里传输给你。知道祂与我们同在，并且为我们而战，这激发了我们的信心和勇气。在这段与主亲近的时光里，我们的心也变得柔软可塑。
出埃及记 33:11 耶和华与摩西面对面说话，像人和朋友说话一样。
摩西花时间与神分享他的困境，特别是以色列百姓的顽固。神从不离弃我们，也不撇下我们，尤其是当祂指示我们为祂做某事时。祂必会帮助我们，就像祂指示摩西接下来应该做什么一样。与此同时，摩西也有机会在神面前为以色列百姓辩护，求神不要因他们对神的悖逆而彻底毁灭他们。同样，我们也被赋予了一个特权的地位，可以在神面前为他人祈祷和代求。
约翰福音 15:15 以后我不再称你们为仆人，因为仆人不知道主人所做的事；我称你们为朋友，因为我从父所听见的，已经告诉你们。
神希望与我们个人交谈，因为我们是祂的儿女和朋友。可悲的是，许多人没有时间与祂亲近，或是听祂说话。他们可能有一份祷告事项清单，但却没有在神的同在中停留足够长的时间来聆听祂的智慧。我们需要记住，神的同在是在主的院宇中，在那里，我们得着祝福。
讲章系列：上帝的同在
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