NEVER JOKE WITH THE PRESENCE

Danielle woke up in the middle of the night. She wanted to have some beverage. I was working in the library. Right after she had a cup of beverage, she came to me and lay on the floor right beside the table. I said to her, “Go to the room and sleep”. Her answer was, “Daddy, I want to stay with you”.

The greatest desire of a child of God must be to stay with the father. The presence of God is our most valuable asset. It must never be taken for granted.

It was the secret of Joseph.

As a slave in Potiphar’s house:

The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

As a prisoner in Egypt:

The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.

Genesis 39:23 NKJV

I love the way that Stephen summarised it:

“And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him and delivered him out of all his troubles and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

Acts 7:9-10 NKJV

Did you see the things that the presence did for Joseph and can also do for you?

First, because God was with him, he was delivered from all his troubles. As long as you cultivate and honour his presence, deliverance is sure.

Second, the presence granted him wisdom and favour where and when it mattered the most. That was his game-changer.

The testimony of Joseph was encoded in the names of sons:

He called one Manasseh because the Lord has made him forget all the toil and troubles that he went through.

He called the other Ephraim because the Lord has caused him to be fruitful in the midst of affliction.

What a testimony! Never joke with the presence of the Lord.

How about Moses? It was the delight of Moses. He would never joke with the presence of the Lord:

And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. Exodus 33:14-15 NKJV

Samuel would always sleep close to the ark of the covenant. That was a major part of his daily routine. He became a national Prophet, a raiser of kings, and a blessing to many.

David knew the potency of the presence. He learnt that packaging and pretending that nothing has happened when a man has fallen was simply a waste of time. He saw how essential the presence of God is.

Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Psalms 51:11 NKJV

If there is anything you must desire, it is the presence of God. A believer who lacks the habit of cultivating the presence of the Lord will live a life full of guesswork, missteps, and unnecessary toil.

Do not joke with the presence of the Lord!

© temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa