The Power of Presence

Sometimes there are more questions than answers. We did everything that we thought was right. We prayed prayers right out of the Word of God and used up every Christian cliche’ we could find. Still, the answer has not come. Or, if it has come, it certainly looks nothing like the answers we prayed for.

It is true; there are lessons to be learned in the crucible of waiting. It is often during the long wait that robust faith becomes chiseled into the foundation of our souls.

I have also found that there is often a haunting loneliness in the waiting. Even if we do have others that have prayed and believed with us, it is rare to find that one who will continue to stand beside you when the answers are, seemingly, held back for months or years – when faith is tried over and over again.

When you find that one, cherish them; they are a true gift from God.

Recently, during one of those seasons of waiting, feeling cruelly isolated due to Covid, the Lord gave me fresh insight into a particular scripture that has often soothed my troubled soul. It was just like the Lord to breathe freshness over the familiar word and cause it to come alive in a new way for me.

As I often do in times of crisis, I began to meditate on Psalm 37:25,
“I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” These words of David were probably written when he was an old man, looking back on the faithfulness of his God.

As I mulled over this scripture, I was reminded of the table of bread in the Old Testament Tabernacle. It was called the table of “shewbread” or the table of “presence.” In scripture, the word “bread” is often a type or symbol of the presence of the Lord. For example, the town of Bethlehem (the place of Jesus’ birth) is also called the House of Bread. There is a rich typology associated with many of the details of the Tabernacle and the Old Testament that link them to the New Testament and to our Lord in particular. (This is a beautiful study that we won’t have time to cover in this post.)

When I looked at Psalm 37:25 with this new revelation in mind, the scripture came alive to me.

As children of God, we are His “seed.” The children of God never have to beg for His presence. He is always anxious to spend time with us; to nurture us; to lavish His love on us.

So, I read the scripture again with fresh vision.

“I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor have I seen His “seed” (children) begging for His presence.”

It is His joy to be with you, my friend. When He said in Hebrews 13:5 that He would never leave us or forsake us – He meant it!

It is His delight to walk with you through the unknown paths of your life. He desires to hold you as you question the unanswered prayers. He even wants to sit with you in the silence as tears bathe your face because of suffering that seems so unjust and cruel. Even if the answers do not come – He does. And He is enough. It sounds oversimplified, but it is true.

The Lord isn’t always about giving us answers. He wants us to realize that He is more than our deepest hearts desire. He is the healing we long for. He is the peace we have sought. He is the joy we so desperately need during the long hours of waiting.

When others have prayed with you and counseled you until they have grown weary, He has not. Isaiah 40:28 reminds us of that very fact.
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.”

We won’t soon forget the empty shelves when Covid lockdowns were first mandated, will we? One of the staples that was hard to find was bread! Loaves of bread disappeared as quickly as stores could restock them. There were even shortages of yeast and flour as home bakers tried their hand at making their own bread.

I am so thankful that the Lord’s presence is never in short supply. He is always ready to fill your empty soul with His bread.

Do you remember the Passover communion the Lord shared with His disciples the night before He was betrayed? When Jesus took the bread, He broke it and handed a piece to each of His disciples. (Luke 22:19) Today He offers His bread to each of us. Abundantly, lavishly. His presence.

The missing link is us. We just need to quiet our hearts and still ourselves long enough to sense His nearness. There is no need to beg. Just look for Him. Reach out and touch Him. He is here!

You are loved! gb

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