So often we ask for God's presence to fall. We so easily look for places that are described as being filled with God's spirit. Is it God's Presence and Spirit we are really looking for? Or is it just another emotional encounter, one that temporarily soothes the anxieties and troubles of the day. Emotional encounters are easy to find and quick Band-Aids to wounded souls that really need the Presence of God to saturate their very being.

The Presence of God is not only proactive and interactive but also reactive. So depending upon what you seek, God moves according to the desires of your heart. The Holy Spirit, your paraclete, will take into consideration your level of maturity, your desires, your needs, your condition and even your cultural background. You see God knows not only what we need; but also exactly how much we are able to take at any given time.

Recently I read a sign that stated, "Long term exposure may result in nausea, dizziness, or fainting." Most would immediately think that's not how God works. But to know God and to truly spend time in his Presence is to except his omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent status. God can do whatever he desires in order to accomplish his purposes. So this month as we are discussing preparation and change we need to consider the ultimate vision of God for our lives. When we do so, we must move into the presence of God. There we learn to accept that depending upon one's condition; God will act or react in ways to move whatever hinders His will from going forth.

As we prepare on the outside, God's spirit is working on the inside to bring us closer to accepting the character of Christ being omnipresent in our daily lives. In order for that to occur – we like Christ must spend time in God's Presence. Long-term exposure is needed. But understand God's presence will have a different reaction according to each individual's need. Not only the need, but the depth of God's presence is different depending upon one's faith level. How much do you trust him? The answer to this question will be essential to your reaction and your ability to accept the various levels of God's presence. Long-term exposure takes you deeper into the presence of God until you become spiritually airborne. The weight of God's presence will carry you into a spiritual realm where your spirit will take flight. Your experience will be similar to what is termed as having an out of body experience. Your spirit becomes the overriding factor, not your physical being. But before you can reach that level several reactions may occur that you may not be familiar with. Or you may not associate the reaction with the presence of God.

For example if I enter into God's presence and there is something that needs to be removed from my spirit, I may experience nausea. The presence of God can also cause dizziness as he moves us from one degree of grace to another. My equilibrium is thrown off as God moves me from one spiritual altitude to another. Remember as the soul prospers, so doth the natural man. [3 John 1:2] So as God moves in the spiritual realm there must be a change in the natural matter. There may even be fainting, as I am no longer in control God can do surgery. For when my mind is no longer in control, my spirit allows God to remove hindrances or implant spiritual graces. These are tools needed for spiritual survival. God may need to strip us of our natural mind frame in order to speak to our spirits. At times in our awake moments, we may not allow God to accomplish this due to fear or a misunderstanding of God's perfect will for our lives.

Being in God's presence may cause joy and a spirit of laughter as God strengthens the inner man with the joy of the Lord; which is our strength [Neh. 8:10]. A quiet meditational spirit may cover those in the presence of God as he pours a fresh anointing and renews them for the journey. One may run, jump and shout as an explosion of praise, for God has given or confirmed a word that can't be articulated and we must dance as David danced. And David danced before the Lord with all his might [II Sam. 6:14]. For some, we must wait for God's timing. As others jump, run, and pray we may feel numb or not engaged in the present encounter. But stay connected. God also moves in quiet stillness. Just because you cannot feel him does not mean God is not there. Imagine Christ sitting next to you. Imagine His presence overshadowing every part of your being; holding you in the shadow of his almighty arms. Why? Because what you need most is His safety and protection.

You see change must not only be a planting of ministries and a changing of services. We must be prepared and changed to do ministry from the inside out beginning with us. Being saturated in the presence of God creates direction, understanding and a change in our souls and spirits. Thus the character of Christ is formed in us. Otherwise scriptures like, [Matt. 11:12], the kingdom suffereth violence and the violent taketh by force; can be used to manifest in ways that begin to disrupt, disturb, and destroy what God intends to change and build. So before preparing to take the kingdom by force one must spend time in God's presence. As we do so, we are prepared, transformed and made into agents of change. Agents that understand, God's will is sometimes uncomfortable, unfathomable to the human mind and beyond the plans that man has constructed. So if he interrupts [I Thess. 5:19] your organizational structure for one that ministers to the Master's Ultimate Creation, know there is purpose. The saturation of God's presence is preparation for God's purpose.

Be Saturated in God's Presence and SOAR!!!!

At times, we all get to a place where we feel "boxed in" or are perceived by others to be boxed in. The situation looks bleak and we begin to feel like the weight of the world is on our shoulders. There apparently seems to be no way out and after many attempts, we look around to see that there is little or no change. But our feelings, people's perceptions and how we perceive ourselves are never the end or the plot of our story. These things are just an outpouring of what appears to be boundaries that lock us in – when God has built a wall of protection to keep us from those things that would harm us. Not only is there protection; but also there is provision and promise. God promised to deliver us from the hand of the enemy by always providing a way of escape (even when the enemy is within).

In Exodus 14:3 Pharaoh says of the Israelites, "They are wandering around in the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in." But that was not God's story. God had given direction. There were explicit directions, telling the Israelites exactly where to go. He placed them in between Migdol and the sea. His instructions were to face the sea and make camp there. So essentially, God placed them in the box and told them to stay put. Obviously, God had a plan. Not only a plan to deliver Israel but to teach them something in the process. Sometimes people will tell us our wilderness experience is because we have erred, sinned or we are not in line with the will of God. But if you examine this portion of the story, Israel was in perfect alignment with God's instructions.

God gives instructions and at times those instructions place us in uncomfortable situations. Situations that appear senseless, without hope and perhaps give us the illusion that we are defeated. But to know our God, the resurrection of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit is to trust that whatever be the tide God will take care of you. The wilderness is the working out of our faith from the inside out. It is the shifting ground that shapes and forms your character. The wilderness shakes your foundation and when the earth opens up, some things that you don't need get swallowed up. Some possessions that are not supposed to move into your next season get broken up. Some lessons are learned so that you can be lifted up. You see that box protects the personhood of you during the shift. During the shift it keeps the enemy from conquering your spirit. Every once and while God opens the top and sends a blessing in the way of a word of encouragement, a word of wisdom or a word of knowledge. Being connected to the source and aligned with those God has sent into our lives; allows a fresh wind to come in and move us from depression to decision. The decision is to keep our minds attuned to the things of God so we don't get lost in the battle.

To continue to read the fourteenth chapter of Exodus is to see [vs.10-12] that because of their circumstances the Israelites began to question God, Moses, and who they were as the people of God. The children of Israel begin to adapt a wilderness mentality. The focus became what they could physically see. They allowed their spirits to allow their situation and their physical perspective to define them. We like the Israelites, often forget God has given instructions, thus far. He will also continue to preserve us in his quest to have us partake of his promise. In the process of building our character (the character of Christ within us) and building our faith we must persevere. We will endure some things that are painful, uncomfortable and appear to be tragic, treacherous, and have the potential to traumatize us. But this will only happen if we let the world's perspective of us become our perspective. That comes in the form of giving in to the battle that wages in our minds.

So what comfort do we rely on when we are feeling boxed in? What becomes our solace when we realize that WE cannot fight or figure our way out of the box? First we must recognize that if God builds the box, God will provide a way of escape. Secondly we must fear not, stand still and see the salvation (the life God provides) of God daily [vs. Ex.14:13]. Daily fear, our minds and the perspectives of others attempt to influence us in ways that move us from seeing ourselves as God sees us. We must be practiced in the discipline of abating fear – For God has not given us a spirit of fear – but of power, and of love and of a sound mind [I Tim. 1:7]. This scripture should become our mantra until we have it embedded in our spirit. Next we should holdfast to the serenity prayer that is so often forgotten. God grant me the serenity to ACCEPT the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. This simple prayer allows us to stand in the face of adversity. The prayer is a spiritual weapon that combats the darts (words) of others that would move us from where God has placed us. Also, the prayer asks us to stand still and focus on the life giving power of our Saviour ("God grant") in every facet of our lives. Lastly we must learn to hold our peace and let God fight the battle [Ex. 14:14]). Hold our tongues, our emotions, our will and our way. We must tap into the spirit of God in order to see ourselves, as well as our situation, as God sees us.

Being made in his image requires God to be accountable as a steward over his creation. God asks us to be content with such things as we have, for he will never leave us nor forsake us [Heb. 13:5]. He brings us to holding places. These places bring us to an understanding that what we face is not about Pharaoh's perspective of us. Our box is so we come face to face with ourselves. We can then begin to deal with our inconsistencies and flaws that have moved us from what God's word says, " we are fearfully and wonderfully made [Ps. 139:13-15]." There are no qualifiers, additives or detractors from this statement.

God allows us to experience situations that cause us to know we are his own, made in his image, cared for and consistently crafted in a way that brings him glory and honor. Let your image be the image of God and not the image of spectators. Soar knowing you are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. The spectators and naysayers don't count. Why? because God is fighting your battle on a daily basis. He asks that you just hold on to HIS Peace. Let his peace be the guiding force. (And the Peace of God which; surpasses all understanding will GUARD your HEARTS and MINDS. [Phil. 4:7]) This will be the guide that changes your perspective to a Godly perspective and not the enemies' perspective of you and/or of your situation. We shall win for the battle is not ours but the Lords!

Feeling boxed in? Know that God holds you and your box in the palm of his hands with pre-ordered instructions that will make a way for your release.