Presence and Guidance

Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Psalm 23:2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Psalm 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

The Bible promises the presence and the guidance of the Lord in the lives of those who put their trust in Him. He promises to give us green pastures to take rest in, still waters of quietness and peace, and blessed paths to walk in as He leads us into places of goodness and mercy all the days of our lives.

The LORD Who is There

There are seven compound names for Jehovah in the Old Testament, such names as Jehovah Jireh, the Lord Whose provision shall be seen, Jehovah Rapha, the LORD Who heals us, Jehovah Shalom, the LORD is our peace, and so on.

One of those compound names is Jehovah Shammah, which means “the LORD is there.” The scripture reference for that name is found in Ezekiel chapter 48.

Ezekiel 48:35 It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there. [or Jehovah Shammah]

This name was given to a future city that Ezekiel was describing in his vision, speaking prophetically of the New Covenant in Christ, the city of God made without hands, indicating that the LORD's presence was to be with His people in an enduring way.

These compound names for Jehovah are names that describe who the LORD is for His people. They represent the things that Jesus has become for us in the New Covenant. They are descriptions of His nature, His characteristics, and one of those characteristics is that He is there, He is ever present.

I Will Never Leave Thee

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Hebrews 13:6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

These verses tell us that the LORD has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you. This is a promise of God. It promises that He is ever present with us, wherever we go and in whatever we do, whether we feel like He is or not.

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

These are the words of Jesus. I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. This not only reassures us that the LORD is with us, but also implies that there is no place we can go that He is not with us.

Wherever We Go

Psalm 139:7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
Psalm 139:8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
Psalm 139:9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Psalm 139:10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

The fact is that it’s impossible to escape His omnipresence. The Bible says that Jesus is the head of His body, the body of Christ, the church, and it, the body, is the fullness of Him who fills all in all. The church, the body of Christ, is the temple made up of living stones, people who believe in Christ, and each one of those living stones is filled with Him. He is always present. He is the LORD who is there.

The LORD’s Guidance

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

The LORD has promised to lead us and guide us in the way that we should go. He said, I will guide thee with mine eye. We might say it this way. I will watch closely to guide you in the right way.

A Matter of Faith

The Bible says that through faith and patience we inherit the promises. We can see from scripture that the LORD is with us and that He promises to lead and guide in our lives. And it’s through our faith, our willingness to believe and trust in His word, that makes these promises of His presence and His guidance a reality to us.

The Voice of the LORD

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

Jesus said that His sheep hear His voice, and they follow. Are you a sheep of the Lord Jesus? Then His voice, the voice of HIs presence, the voice of His guidance, is available to you. Ask for it in prayer. Believe the scriptures, and receive the reality of it in your life, It is there for you.

Isaiah 30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

It should be obvious by now from the abundance of scripture verses about the LORD’s presence in us, and HIs desire for us to hear His voice and follow HIm, that the LORD desires to lead us in our lives, and guide us in the right way to go.

Meditation in the Word

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Joshua was commanded to be strong and courageous and not be afraid, for the LORD thy God is with you everywhere you go. And it says that he would make his way prosperous, and he would have good success.

How would Joshua prosper and be successful? By keeping the word of God in his mouth, and by meditating in it day and night. This was the secret to his prosperity and his success. And the same thing is true for us.

Why? Because those who meditate in and ponder the word of God develop a sense and a recognition of His presence, and a hearing ear for his guidance and His instruction.

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Let us take the time to draw near to Him and make the effort to believe in the reality that the LORD is present with us in our lives. And may we cultivate a listening ear for the voice of the Good Shepherd, the One Who will cause us to lie down in green pastures, and Who desires to lead us beside the quiet waters of His Spirit.