I Long for Your Presence

Sometimes I think back to my life before Jesus became my Lord and Savior. The lyrics of the song, "Presence" by the Newsboys tells us the value of longing for Jesus' presence in our lives:

Newsboys - Presence
From the album Devotion
I lift up my voice
To the King, King of Glory
I hold out my hands
To the One who is worthy
I long for Your presence
I long, Lord I need Your touch

Chorus: Come, O Lord, and fill up my life
With the light of Your presence
This is my heart’s desire
Come and let your Spirit abide
long for your presence
This is my heart’s desire
I long to be washed in the well of your mercy
I long to be warmed by the fire of your glory
I long for your presence
I long for your healing touch
Come and let your Spirit abide
I long for your presence
This is my heart’s desire
It’s my desire Lord, you’re my desire
I want to feel your presence (x4)

Before I came to Christ, could I honestly claim that I was longing for Jesus' presence in my life and that it was genuinely my heart's desire?
I would have to confess....no. I recall a scene from Forrest Gump where Lieutenant Dan asks Forrest, " Have you found Jesus yet?" and Forrest replied, "I didn't know I was supposed to be looking for Him." Doesn't that kinda describe each of us at one time before conversion? Then,
when we come to the realization that we need the salvation grace of
Jesus in our lives, isn't it amazing how we then can see the path to this realization through the Christian people He has placed in our lives?

I was caught up in all the things of this world, just like so many other people. Let me say that it is not necessarily an entirely bad thing to
enjoy the gifts God has given us during our dwelling place here on
earth. But the difference is, what comes first in your life?

I remember staring at Jesus on the cross at the front of the Roman Catholic church of my upbringing and wondering why did He have to die? The answer only came to me after studying the Gospel of John in
the Bible. John 3:3 showed me the need to be 'born again'; a phrase
that I had never heard of in all the years I attended church. It changed my life forever!

Going back, I remember so vividly one Sunday morning when I was a backsliding Catholic (in my 20's) I had thought that life is so meaningless. I stared at the Sunday newspaper thinking...OK
another sale at the mall. Ho hum. I can go buy more clothes. I couldn't pinpoint it at the time, but I knew that something was missing in my
life! I felt despair, depression, anxiety and wondered what life was
really all about.

Everything that I was involved in at the time brought some happiness, but my life lacked real joy. What is the difference? Happiness is man-made where joy is God-given. That is what I truly believe.

Jesus said in John 10:10 - The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to
kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.

If you are reading this blog and don't believe that Satan is real, you are severely mistaken. Jesus confronted Satan during his three year
ministry on earth and referred to him as a real being. Who do you
think Jesus was referring to when he spoke of the 'thief' in the above verse? Notice what Satan's goal is. To steal, and to kill, and to destroy. Elsewhere, Jesus refers to him as the 'father of lies.' Of course, he is a defeated foe for Jesus broke the plague of sin, evil and death's affect upon those who confess their sin and choose Him as Lord and Savior
of their lives. We have the assurance of eternal life no matter what transpires here on earth. No one can "snatch us out of His hands." Greater is He (Holy Spirit) who is in me (you) than he who is in the world. However, those who die their inevitable death without Christ
will not inherit the kingdom of God! Don't be one of them!! Please visit my website page:
http://www.angels-helper.net
to learn how YOU can become a Christian!

I really love Brian Littrell's song:

Brian Littrell - In Christ Alone
From the album WOW #1's
In Christ alone will I glory
Though I could pride myself in battles won
For I’ve been blessed beyond measure
And by His strength alone I’ll overcome
Oh, I could stop and count successes like diamonds in my hands
But those trophies could not equal to the grace by which I stand
Chorus:In Christ alone
I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory
Let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone
In Christ alone do I glory
For only by His grace I am redeemed
For only His tender mercy
Could reach beyond my weakness to my need
And now I seek no greater honor in just to know Him more
And to count my gains but losses to the glory of my Lord