Day #278 - Presence Blessing

The Presence - A Devotional for Living in Thanksgiving, Worship and Wonder

“David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” He was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household.”

‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭6:9-11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Photo by Ashkan Forouzani on Unsplash

Who is your favorite person to see?

I am returning home on a plane as I write this from almost a week away from my whole family. I love seeing my wife. I love to be present with her because it brings me pleasure and I know it pleases her to be near me. It’s the same for my children. Getting to reunite with family or an old friend is such a blessing. The blessing is having them near.

David was in fear after Uzzah died and he had an ache, a longing in his soul to have the Ark back with him. He wasn’t sure what to do yet, so he left the Ark at Obed-Edom’s house for three months. When the Ark was with Obed-Edom, God blessed him and all of his house.

The blessing of “the Presence” is God Himself dwelling with us. But it just so happens that in His presence all that we need is there in Him. When He is close, His blessings are close. My friend Raul Dimov recently shared that God’s presence is always connected to His pleasure. When God is manifestly present with us, He is pleased with us. He is pleased to bless us as we host Him.

Obed-Edom, his family and all he had (1 Chronicles 13) were blessed for three months because of God’s presence. If we seek blessing in our lives, we should first seek His presence. We should desire to please the Lord and attract Him to dwell with us. God’s favor rests on those that host His glory.

God is our reward and simply being with Him is our greatest delight. But when we simply dwell with Him, He blesses our relationships and the work of our hands. May we all desire to host God’s glorious presence in our homes. May our spouses, children, family and roommates come under the blessing of God because we prioritize hosting “the Presence” in our homes and lives.

Lord God, I love You and I love Your presence. Teach me how to host Your presence in my home and life. Let my home and my family delight in hosting You. Dwell with us and bless us. I seek You not for blessing first but I’m thankful for all the ways You bless me when You are near. In Jesus name, amen.