The Joy of His Presence

UV 1189/10,000 The Joy Of His Presence
Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.
Psalm 21 v 6

There are internal blessings and external blessings. There are earthly blessings and eternal blessings. There are material blessings and spiritual blessings. The blessings that matter most are not the material or financial or physical blessings but the blessings that last forever- the spiritual and eternal blessings that linger on with us forever beyond this lifetime. But the key or our focus is not to be the blessings but the presence of the Lord. When the presence of the Lord fills us from the inside and clothes us on the outside, covers us from above and surrounds us on all sides, we will be filled with joy. This joy comes from a sense of belonging to God. It will be reflected on the gladness on our faces and it will radiate all around. Blessings are not something we can work for or achieve but it is something that is granted by God. Its source is spiritual and eternal. Blessings are given by the Lord out of the abundance of His grace and mercy. When a person enters the presence of a king and pleases him with his past record, his words or his manners, the king reciprocates by giving him a reward in terms of honour or a purse. Similarly, when we are in the presence of the Lord, He blesses us. The difference is that we get an audience of a king or ruler for a brief spell of time but the Lord’s presence is with us all the time. What pleases the Lord is our faith and our constant communication with Him.
Through our faith in Jesus we receive the promise of the Spirit. We receive every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places through our faith in Jesus. Our bodies and minds become the veritable temple or habitation of God and thereby we are not only blessed but we can bless others who come our way. The ability to bless and curse is normally only the prerogative of the Lord of heaven and of earth. But He has given us the promise of Abraham, “ Whom you bless will be blessed and whom you curse will be cursed.” This is the power and privilege of kings and priests that has been freely given to every believer but we need to use the power to curse with great restraint for the Lord Jesus asks us to bless and not curse our enemies.

The word “ surely” at the start of this uni-verse implies that we must be assured or certain without an iota of doubt that the Lord has granted us every blessing we need on earth and in heaven. It is this confidence and hope that produces in us a great optimism and joy. Our mind will not be tossed about by our circumstances like a wave that is tossed about on the surface of the sea by the passing winds. Our spirits will be anchored in the Lord. We will be wrapped in the love of God and be filled with peace, joy and love. Blessings are the means through which the Lord fills our cup with overflowing joy.

Prateep V Philip