By Pastor Daniel Yaw
 
Introduction
As I was sitting in my study room, reading and praying, these words began to linger in my mind, “I will be with you.”  It is not something new but a special feeling of assurance of the reality of God’s presence.
 
The presence of God is somewhat special - in good times and especially so in challenging times.  The assurance that God is with us is the assurance of his watchfulness, his companionship and his guidance.
 
When God called Moses to deliver the people of Israel, He said in Exodus 3:12, “I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you; when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
 
The task was not an easy one, neither was it a smooth sailing one.  There were challenges after challenges by Pharaoh.  The point is that, through all that, God’s presence was with Moses.
 
What is so special about His presence?
 
The theme of the Bible: The Presence of God - the Past
The presence of God is the very theme of the Bible.  When God created man in the garden of Eden, God spoke with Adam every evening. There was not a day passed that God was not there.  His presence in creation was the very epitome of our existence.

he presence of God is indeed a gift for man from creation.  However, when man sinned, when man turned his face from God in disobedience, man was abandoned from the garden, but man was not abandoned by God.  His presence continued to prevail.  However, this time it was the reward of salvation. 

The day Jesus was born, it was announced that his name shall be called “Immanuel” which means God with us. 
 
The Presence of God: The Present
Today, God’s presence has a redemptive element to it.   Redemptive in that we are saved and we are reconciled to Him.  God’s presence has become even more meaningful in that it is not just external but Christ dwell within us.  His presence is always with us.  His promise is that he will never leave us nor forsake us.
 
In the past it was the gift of creation - companionship.  Presently, since the fall of man, it became redemptive.  Redemptive also has the element of his presence going before us all the time.  It is special in that, his presence offers us power and grace in challenging times.
 
I am sure all of us have faced times when we seem to fail physically, emotionally and spiritually.  At such times, the presence of God offers us his grace which finds its strength even in times of weakness.  Paul the apostle says that his grace is made sufficient in times of weakness.
 
As I sat and continued in my meditation, I came back to God, realizing only that it is his presence that has sustained me and will continue to sustain me in my service in the ministry.  I only need to obey Him and walk in his ways.  Sometimes the burden of ministry, the concern for people, the weight of family can be overwhelming, yet I realize that God’s presence is real.  I recalled Joseph of the Old Testament, that it was the presence of God in the words of scriptures, “And God was with him.” that sustained him through all his trials = of betrayal by his brothers (we have our share of those feelings), of unjustly treated and accused by Potiphar’s wife (surely we can identify with that), of being forgotten by his fellow prisoner who was released (we have felt deserted at some point in our lives) and finally the burden of his family that constantly questioned his sincerity in their hearts (the burden of family).  What sustained Joseph?  - “AND GOD WAS WITH JOSEPH”
 
The Presence of God: The Future
This week I was pretty busy with two of our church members who had gone home to the Lord.  What really was the message of those who have gone before us?  That they have returned to the presence of God.  That is future.
 
Jesus said, “Where I am, you will be also.”  The presence of God secured for us.  That is why Jesus gave the promise, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the ends of the age.” 
 
Conclusion
There is so much that we strive in this world that we sometimes forget that we have a God who indwells and walks with us.  As we continue this journey and serve the Lord, may we be found faithful because God is always faithful to his children.  May we share the experience of Dr Ng Kok Tee who shared behind the pulpit how the presence of God swept over him like streams of refreshing water flowing over him.