Being Still in God's Presence
To experience God's presence, we must quiet our minds, focus on Him, and behold Him through Scripture.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the importance of being still in God's presence, asserting that God is the one who seeks us, waiting for our distractions to fade so He can reveal Himself. He encourages believers to focus their attention on the Triune God, trusting the Holy Spirit to guide their understanding of God as needed. Tozer warns against trying to create an image of God, reminding us that God is Spirit and resides within our hearts, not in physical spaces. He advocates for meditating on Scripture as the means to truly see God as He is revealed. This stillness and focus allow us to experience the profound reality of God's presence.
Text
In coming to God we should place ourselves in His presence with the confidence that He is the aggressor, not we. He has been waiting to manifest Himself to us till such time as our noise and activity have subsided enough for Him to make Himself heard and felt by us. Then we should focus our soul?s powers of attention upon the Triune Godhead. Whether One Person or Another claims our present interest is not important. We can trust the Spirit to bring before our minds the Person that we at the moment need most to behold. One thing more. Do not try to imagine God, or you will have an imaginary God; and certainly do not, as some have done, ?set a chair for Him.? God is Spirit. He dwells in your heart, not your house.
Brood on the Scriptures and let faith show you God as He is revealed there.
Nothing else can equal this glorious sight.
Sermon Outline
- Coming to God with Confidence points: - God is the aggressor, not us
- Creating Space for God's Presence points: - Subsiding noise and activity to hear God
- Focusing on the Triune Godhead points: - Trusting the Spirit to bring the right Person to mind
- Avoiding Misconceptions of God points: - Not trying to imagine God
- Beholding God through Scripture points: - Faith reveals God as He is
Key Quotes
“He has been waiting to manifest Himself to us till such time as our noise and activity have subsided enough for Him to make Himself heard and felt by us.” — A.W. Tozer
“God is Spirit. He dwells in your heart, not your house.” — A.W. Tozer
“Nothing else can equal this glorious sight.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Make time to quiet your mind and focus on God's presence.
- Trust the Spirit to bring the right Person to mind and focus your attention.
- Behold God through Scripture to avoid misconceptions and experience His presence.