How to Experience God’s Presence by Choosing What is Beneficial
I have heard that some people wear rose-colored glasses. I think I would like a pair, because at the moment I seem to be viewing things through a Leviticus filter. You are definitely correct if you think that’s odd. I never expected to gain such a point of view when I began studying the Torah (first five books of the Bible).
As I’ve been reading, God reminds me He is always pursing and providing a way for man to have a relationship with Him. The creators of the Bible Project describe Leviticus as a Priestly Tech Manual. I find the description accurate as I read all the laws and stipulations to maintain ritual holiness.
The Israelites’ God Experience
Most of us struggle to get into the book of Leviticus. I find the Israelites astounding because of their willingness to follow the laws, along with the energy required to remain committed to the Law. In addition, I find it difficult to relate to the way God expressed and revealed Himself to the Israelites.
For example, the Israelites experienced God as a massive cloud and storm over Mount Sinai. They heard the voice of God and it sounded similar to thunder. Plus, God came down as fire and lit up the altar, burning the entire sacrifice when they ordained Aaron and his sons as Priests. I totally understand why the Israelites were often frightened of God.
New Testament God Experience
As New Testament followers, we experience God quite differently. We sing choruses like “Jesus Loves Me,” “I am a Friend of God,” and hymns like “What a Friend We have in Jesus.” We don’t talk about laws, instead we discuss forgiveness, grace, and living in freedom.
Freedom and Boundaries
In America, we take freedom seriously. We are free to believe as we choose; we have freedom of speech; and we maintain the freedom to protect our own space as we see fit.
I hear from peers at work another example of freedom. They discuss how they plan to call in on a following workday and not come in at all. From their point of view, they have the freedom to choose.
I wonder at times if we embrace the idea of freedom so intently, we forget God gave laws and boundaries to live by.
What is Beneficial
Paul tells us in First Corinthians 10:23, “Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial…” I’m convinced many Christians in our culture read that verse and assume it aligns with their American freedoms to live by what pleases them. We too easily forget the next verse which states “No one is to seek his own good, but the good of the other person.” (1 Corinthians 10:24) I am reminded by this second verse that we must rightly determine what the beneficial is that Paul talks about.
The authors of the New Testament talk about freedom because Jesus’ death freed the Jews from maintaining the Law. Believers don’t possess the freedom to live however they please. Instead, we have freedom from the rituals of the Law since Jesus has provided access to God. Christ made the way for us to live in the presence of God, and we must stay withing the boundary of “what is beneficial.”
Lessons from Psalms 84
Psalms 84 is a psalm about desiring to be with God. The Psalmist writes that he longs to be in God’s house, because God’s house is where God dwelled in the Old Testament. The author of Psalm 84 wasn’t aiming to go to church, he was yearning to experience the presence of God Himself.
We, as New Testament believers, have the Holy Spirit inside us. God’s presence dwells within us all the time. However, I don’t think we are aware of what we possess. We can learn some lessons from the Old Testament Jews that can help us determine what is beneficial.
“Better a day in your courts than a thousand anywhere else. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than live in the tents of wicked people. For the LORD is a sun and shield. The LORD grants favor and honor; He does not withhold the good from those who live with integrity.”
Psalms 84:10-11, CSB
The Beneficial can be Costly
For the Jews to enjoy a day in God’s courts, they had to make sure they were ritually pure, or clean. This could be costly. They needed to be careful who they interacted with, because coming in contact with someone else who was ritually unclean also made them unclean. Furthermore, they must be able to purchase the animals for any necessary sacrifice.
I believe a paraphrase of Psalms 84:10 for the modern reader could read like this. “Better is one day experiencing God’s presence, than a thousand days of a grand vacation. I choose to study and know God, because His presence is of more value than being well-liked at work, or the envy of my neighborhood, or securing many “likes” on social media.”
The Benefit of Who God Is
The Psalmist tells us why he values God’s presence so dearly in verse eleven. First, he tells us the LORD is a sun and shield. The ancient reader would associate the word sun with a sovereign ruler. Furthermore, we learn from the Psalmist’s description God is constant like the sun, the giver of light (or wisdom), and a protector.
God’s Grace is Beneficial
Next the Psalmist teaches us God “grants favor and honor; he does not withhold the good…” When you read this verse in other translations, you learn favor and honor can also be translated grace and glory. The Psalmist wants God’s grace in His life. He wants to know God honors him because he’s choosing to live a life of obedience to the LORD’s commands.
Dependency is Beneficial
I think we often misinterpret this verse because most versions translate “He does not withhold the good” as some variant of “no good thing does He withhold.” Our culture is very materialistic, and I believe when we read the phrase no good thing, we assume we will receive the stuff we want. We attach our thoughts to the word thing instead of understanding that God will not withhold what is most beneficial to our spiritual life.
Will you consider that “the good” is what leads us and keeps us in the best place to experience God’s presence. We can determine what is beneficial by what keeps us depending on God. For the Israelites in the Old Testament, it meant keeping laws and regulations to maintain ritual purity.
What is Beneficial
I have experienced my need for God in a variety of ways that don’t always seem beneficial, and yet God uses them for my good.
- Financial struggles.
- Events not going as I hoped or planned.
- Broken relationships.
- Accusatory comments.
- Fears and anxiety.
- Unstable future.
- Loss of power, the internet, one’s phone.
- Grief.
- An inability to learn something new, being slow to understand.
Choices, Habits and the Beneficial
God, in His goodness, freed us from the need to follow the Levitical Law. However, we are still faced with determining what is beneficial. We make continual choices throughout each and every day. We often begin with choosing whether to hit the snooze alarm or not.
When we repeat choices, we create habits. If we never stop to consider what is beneficial for experiencing the presence of God, we form habits that lead us away from His presence.
We most certainly have freedom. Nevertheless, if we want to experience God’s presence in our lives, we must choose to trust His goodness and live within the boundaries of what He declares is beneficial. We must create the habit of asking “What is the most beneficial choice in God’s eyes for this moment?” The Psalmist tells us He will not withhold the good.
“Happy is the person who trusts in you, LORD of Armies!”
Psalms 84:12, CSB
Rose Colored Glasses Photo by Dhaya Eddine Bentaleb on Unsplash
