Spring
2004
Understanding
His Manifest Presence
Taken from a message by
Walter H. Beuttler
“Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall
not see him? says the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth?
says the Lord.” Jeremiah 23:24
The term, “Manifest Presence,” refers to the
presence of the Lord being revealed through one or more of
our five physical senses. As we sit in the presence of the
Lord in expectancy, and persevere in our “waiting upon
the Lord,” we will learn the “secret” of
His Manifest Presence.
Irrespective of how we may “feel,” we are to
base our waiting upon Him, on the fact that - “God is
present.” We must accept the “fact” of the
certainty of His presence being with us, as being more real
to us, than any conscious awareness of His presence that we
may feel, though both are essential.
“Where shall I go from Your Spirit? or where shall
I flee from Your presence? If I ascend up into heaven, You
are there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
“If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the
uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall Your hand lead
me, and Your right hand shall hold me.
“If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even
the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hides
not from You; but the night shines as the day: the darkness
and the light are both alike to You.” Psalm 139:7-12
It is only after we have been firmly rooted in the “fact”
of His Presence, that the Lord can give us the “consciousness”
of His presence. Otherwise, we might become over-dependent
on Him for His “Conscious Presence.”
When the Lord reveals His Manifest Presence to us, He has
a purpose in mind. As we respond to His presence, He will
begin to reveal Himself to us in one of many ways. It may
be a time in which we fellowship with Him, or, it may be in
the form of a burden for prayer, intercession, or spiritual
warfare. He may begin to unfold a spiritual truth to us, or
give a special understanding in His Word.
The ability to “understand” what the Lord has
in mind, when He comes and reveals His Manifest Presence to
us, is developed through practice. It is cultivated by our
devotion and obedience to His leadings. We must learn to know
when the Lord comes to us, and when the purpose for which
He came, has been accomplished. We need to be careful not
to offend Him, by not responding to His coming, or, by leaving
the place of His presence, prematurely.
Leaving His presence prior to His being finished with us
is very detrimental to the development of our spiritual sensitivity.
At times, we may not be as careful as we ought, but we should
remember that the Holy Spirit has feelings, and that He can
easily be grieved. He is not intrusive; neither will He force
Himself upon us. The Lord appreciates being appreciated, and
will only come when He feels welcome.
The Spirit will often pray through us, in ways that we do
not understand. We may not know our need, or the needs of
others, but in His foreknowledge, the Lord provides for this.
“Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for
we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit
Itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot
be uttered.” Romans 8:26
Therefore, the Holy Spirit, knowing the will of the Father,
prays through us and gives us a burden that corresponds to
the need, to which only He is aware. Often, we may become
sad, happy, full of joy, or expectation, all during this process
of the moving of the Holy Spirit, as He expresses Himself
through us toward the need. At times, He may cause or allow
us to understand, as we continue to wait upon Him. However,
our knowing may only serve to hinder the efficient work of
the Spirit of God in praying through us.
When the Holy Spirit comes to us with a burden, or in a heavy
presence, care must then be exercised in responding. If we
are rightly involved in some activity, such as our employment,
or responsibilities that cannot be postponed, the presence
will subside and then abide with us, until we are free to
come apart and wait upon Him. However, if we do not wish to
respond to His coming, the Lord will be grieved, and we will
loose this special relationship to His Manifest Presence.
When His presence begins to lift, we can stop waiting upon
Him. A song may commence to rise within us in worship, or
a peace will be felt, and then, He will withdraw until a future
time.
“And the Lord went His way, as soon as He had left
communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place.”
Genesis 18:33
Gradually, as we poise our spirit toward the Lord in “absolute
silence,” we will begin to find the “secret place”
that is close to the heart of God. His desire for us is contained
within this “poised spirit,” where words or expression
may only serve to interrupt our communion with God.
As we wait upon Him in this attitude of Spirit, His Manifest
Presence will increasingly become real and meaningful to us.