Heart in His Presence

11-17-09

Proverbs 15:11

The presence of the Lord is noted for Love, Holiness and Awe. These forces speak to pleasant qualities. In contrast, wickedness, hell and destruction are seldom recognized as forces to inhabit the presence of the Lord. Proverbs tells that these seldom recognized forces along with the heart of man as being in the presence of the Lord.

An obvious question comes to mind, what are hell and destruction doing in the presence of the Lord? Why would a loving Lord want them around Him? Hell is a place known for punishment and torment. Destruction speaks of devastation and misfortune. To thinks that these would be able to be in the presence of the Lord is unprecedented. In fact, it is believed that they are contrary to what the Lord represents so He would look at them negatively. The Lord created all things and it is from Him all things have existence. Even though hell and destruction have such negative implications they have a place in His presence and His control over them is never lost.

If hell and destruction are in the presence of the Lord, then according to Proverbs the heart of men are also in His presence. All that is in the heart, wickedness included, is not hid. The Lord sees and knows it all. He knows exactly what position in His presence our hearts occupy. Whether we believe it or not, the position we occupy in His presence is an indication of what is in our heart. When ever I don’t feel or think I am good enough I tend to hide or shy back away from His presence. Perhaps you can relate to sitting in the back of the church, not wanting to get involved or denying an opportunity to take a lead.

Truth be told, of ourselves we can never be good enough but that’s the beauty of the faith in grace. This is not a feeling or state of mind; instead it is a status that says we are as good as we need to be. Proverbs wants us to grasp the point where there is no doubt in our minds that the Lord who has hell and destruction in His presence also has our hearts and all that is in it. His presence is more than a place of worship; it is also a place of realization where we are exposed to the truth of who we are in relation to Him. Beyond the mask and fictions behavior, all hearts are open and exposed. This realization takes place not that He might see us, but that we might be made aware that He sees us and this awareness would prompt us to return to our rightful place, the place not threaten by hell and destruction.