In His Presence

Here we are, back at the verse we started with. We’ve looked at so many ways God can pour joy into our lives, but they all bring us back to this one thing: where Jesus is, joy is! To be in His presence is everything, and all that we need can be found there, no matter what we might be facing.

Years ago, when my daughter was eleven, I had a conversation with her. She was trying to grasp the idea that her parents grew up in a world with no Cable TV, no cellphones, and (this was the one that shocked her most) no Wi-Fi—in fact, no internet at all. As I laughed at her amazement, another thought struck me, and it wasn’t funny at all. We can carry a world of information and entertainment around in our pockets, and with social media and all the other ways we can get “connected,” my daughter, along with the rest of us, is surrounded by a world of perpetual distraction.

I need not add that easy access to material that is positively harmful only makes the problem even worse. With all that bombards us, screaming for our attention on a constant basis, we need to make sure we are ruthlessly intentional about getting alone with God and cultivating His presence in our lives.

Some say the endless choices on offer have literally affected our brains, and many of us have developed desperately short attention spans. But there is no shortcut to knowing God—only spending time in His presence does that. God tells us, “When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” (Jeremiah 29:13-14, The Message).

Even from the backdrop of a far simpler time, C. S. Lewis knew how vulnerable we are to distraction, how willing we are to spend our days on everything but knowing God. “We are half-hearted creatures,” he said, “fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.”

Today, refuse to be distracted, refuse to be lulled into a well-entertained stupor. Focus, tune out all the commotion, and go after God with all your heart. The prize is the presence of God, and in His presence, there is fullness of joy!