June 7 - Every Man Ministries

Presence

So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. ––2 Corinthians 5:9-10

Second only to our salvation, the greatest gift that God has given us is the presence of the Holy Spirit. It will always be a mystery to me how the Spirit lives inside me, but that is what the Word says:

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

––Romans 8:9, NKJV

Interestingly, the word “dwells” is translated from the Greek verb “oikeō”. The noun of the word means “house,” so the action of the verb is the act of living in the house. The Holy Spirit, then, lives in our house—or what Paul calls our temple. However, if we don’t realize that—or ignore the fact—we do ourselves a big disservice.

It’s like the old chocolate syrup analogy: If you have a glass of milk and just pour chocolate syrup into it, it will settle at the bottom. The syrup is there, even if we can’t see much evidence of it. It’s not until we stir the syrup that it is activated. The Holy Spirit, likewise, takes up residence within us when we are born again. However, we must activate our faith—through prayer and action—to both recognize the Holy Spirit’s presence within us, and to see Him work through us and into the world.

You have the presence of God within you, brother in Christ. If you feel distant from God, or far from His presence, you are not alone. We all have seasons where God seems far away. But here’s the coolest thing: Even when we either a) don’t access our spiritual gifts or lean into our faith, or b) don’t feel like God is close, He is. He has taken up residence within you—even if you don’t feel it or see it.

What could be greater than having access to the One who loves you more than any other? I invite you to pray along with me as we close this reading:

Holy Spirit, thank You for Your presence in my life. Help me to realize that You are not a concept or an idea, but the One who is closer to me than a brother; You are my Deliverer, my Healer, my Teacher, and my Guide. I invite You to take my life into Your hands and transform me from the inside out. Help me to spend time with You; help me to call on You both in times of trouble, and in times of joy. I invite You, Holy Spirit, into the center of my life today. In Jesus’ name, amen.