TOPIC:"The Amazing Presence of God"
"Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?" (Psalms 139:7)
I want to begin this message with two moving illustrations about the presence of God. The first takes place in the New Testament in the city of Philippi in Macedonia. Two first century Christians, Paul and Silas, are preaching the gospel of God's forgiveness. Because of their faithfulness to Christ, they are stripped, beaten with rods, and thrown into prison. There in that dark and damp dungeon we read these words about them: "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God, and the prisoners heard them" (Acts 16:25).
There you have two believers in a prison cell, singing about the presence of God. Can't you imagine the impact that must have had on those other prisoners? We know what effect that had on the Philippian jailor. It revolutionized his life and the lives of his family.
Or take the time when David Livingstone, the famous missionary to Africa, returned to England for a brief visit towards the end of his life. He was honored by Queen Victoria and was asked to address the students at Cambridge University. Very simply and very quietly he said to them, "Gentlemen, shall I tell you what it was that kept me true to my resolve through all those years in the dark continent? It was the words of a Gentleman, 'Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.'"
There you have a missionary talking to students about the presence of God. It certainly left an everlasting impression upon those missionary students. God's presence in human experiences is a tremendous and inescapable fact of life. Let me ask you: Are you conscience of the presence of God in your life? Do you live in the reality of it? Do you enjoy such an experience? If not then this message is for you.
This truth and reality of God's inescapable presence got hold of David the Psalmist and it so overwhelmed and overpowered him that he had to tell others about it. The result being this magnificent and amazing Psalm before us. Listen again to his words: "Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?"