Luke 1:18-20
Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
Gabriel is mentioned four times in scripture, twice in Daniel and twice in Luke. We will read about Gabriel again in a few days. Do you hear the authority in Gabriel’s words? “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God.” What a declaration!
I have often wondered what it would be like to interview an angel. I would pepper them with questions like, “What is it like to see the glory of God? What does it feel like to stand in the presence of God?”
As I was talking about this with Kurt, he reminded me as believers the Holy Spirit lives in us. We stand in His presence every day. Do we truly comprehend what that means? The God of the Universe chooses to dwell in us, mere humans. He makes our bodies His temple (1 Cor. 6:19). We have the privilege of communing with Him all the time. Wrap your mind around that. If we understood what that meant, we would not walk around feeling defeated, or discontented, or frustrated. We would walk in true freedom.
I needed this reminder. I need to make a shift in my thinking. I need to remember that I am always in the presence of God. Do you need that reminder too?
Here is my declaration: I am Louise Nichols. I stand in the presence of God!
