Always.
Treading the paths of the gospel; singing Psalms at every hour;
an end of talking and long stories; constant bending of the knees.
May my Creator visit me, my Lord, my King;
may my spirit seek him in the everlasting kingdom where he dwells.
– Anonymous, “All Alone in My Little Cell,” Irish, 9th century[1]
“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
– Psalm 46.10
Surely it is one of the great comforts of every Christian to know that Jesus has promised to be with us always, even to the end of the age (Matt. 28.20). He never leaves us alone, never abandons us despite our stupidest choices or dumbest moves, never fails to hold on to us, no matter where we are (cf. Ps. 139.1-12). He is with us always, although we may not always be attentive to His Presence, or grateful for His constant care.
He is there. He is with us.
He is with us by His Word, as He upholds all creation; by His indwelling Spirit, Who works to form us into His image (2 Cor. 3.12-18); and through His continuous intercessions (Heb. 7.25). We are never out of His sight; He watches diligently over us, our Good Shepherd, Lord, Savior, and King. He will never fail us nor forsake us.
He is Immanuel, the With Us God, always, everywhere, and without fail.
The great comfort we know from practicing the Presence of Jesus with us is, however, only half the comfort the Lord intends. For the other side of the coin of knowing that He is with us where we are, is in understanding that we are with Him where He is.
Paul says we have been seated with Christ in heavenly places, and the apostle commands us to set our minds there, where Jesus is enthroned in glory at the right hand of God (Eph. 2.6; Col. 3.1-3).
In Jesus, we enter through the veil that separates the material and spiritual worlds—the veil of unbelief. We come into the Presence of the King of kings and take our seat with Jesus. Seated with Him, we gain a new vantage point on the things of this world. Look around at the glory and beauty of that heavenly venue. Observe saints and angels, robed in white, and listen as they sing the praises of our triune God. Soak it in. Join with it.
Here, in the very throne room of our King, amid saints and angels endlessly praising our God and Savior—a place filled with splendor, majesty, sweet music, heavenly smells, and glorious shouts—here we are called to seek the Lord where He is, and to be with Him there!
Now this is a demanding work of sanctified imagination. It requires that we learn to “see” with the “eyes of the heart” (Eph. 1.15-23). It’s not that heaven and the throne room of Christ aren’t real; it’s that it’s really hard for us to break free of our mundane habit of thought and the constant distractions we tolerate. But only as we do so will we open the eye of our heart and enter that venue, envision ourselves seated with Jesus, to know the glory in His face and look on our lives from His vantage point.
Sadly, many believers today don’t have the remotest idea of what I’m talking about. Yet Jesus reigns in a glorified body, in a place accessible to us by the eye of faith, the contemplation of which is a source of glory to sustain and transform us, and to fill us with unspeakable joy (Eph. 1.18; 2 Cor. 4.6; Ps. 16.11).
What is required for us to seek Him where He is? “Be still.” Gather your thoughts around the glimpses of Jesus exalted which are revealed to us in Scripture. Reflect on Him in silence; let your spirit seek Him in the everlasting Kingdom where He dwells, as you engage every glory-filled portrait in all the galleries of Scripture of this One Who, exalted in glory, cares for you where you are, and invites your fellowship with Him, where He is.
Imagine yourself sinking into Him, like you might settle into a warm pool of water, until you are immersed in the beauty of holiness, and pour yourself out in grateful praise. Call to mind His many excellencies. Imagine your soul—heart, mind, conscience—being washed over with the righteousness of Christ, and your body clothed with Him. From there, look out on the day ahead, and envision Jesus being with you in all your relationships, roles, and responsibilities.
We do not live in a material world only. We are citizens with the saints in the heavenly Jerusalem where Jesus dwells and reigns. And it is our privilege and duty to seek Him where He is, that we may know and enjoy Him more fully there in every moment of our lives.
For Reflection
1. Have you ever practiced this discipline of being still and sinking into the Presence of Jesus in glory?
2. How might you expect to benefit from practicing the Presence of Jesus more consistently?
Psalm 16.5, 6, 11 (All to Christ: Jesus Paid It All)
My portion and my cup are You, my Savior dear;
You help and hold me up, and ever keep me near.
Make me know life’s way! Pleasures fill Your hand;
Fill my life with joy each day! Before Your face I stand.
The work of restoration
Restoring the reconciled world is what our daily work for the Lord is all about. To learn more about how to do this, download the five installments of our ReVision study, “Restoring the Reconciled World”, by clicking here.
Seeing Jesus
For more insight and help in learning to see Jesus, download the free ReVision study, “We Would See Jesus”, by clicking here.
Thank you.
Many of you are faithful and generous in praying for and supporting Crosfigell and The Fellowship of Ailbe. Thank you. May I encourage all our readers to seek the Lord about becoming a supporter of The Fellowship of Ailbe? It’s easy to give to The Fellowship of Ailbe, and all gifts are, of course, tax-deductible. You can click here to donate online through credit card or PayPal or Anedot, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
T. M. Moore
All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[1] Davies, p. 261.
