H. L. Sheppard

                                                                                                                Bulletin

                                                                                                                February 2007

 

 

THE PRESENCE

 

 

1 Chron. 15:2 “ Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.”

 

David attempted to bring the Ark of God home on a wagon built by the Philistines.  His band of men had not gone far before the oxen stumbled while crossing Nachon’s threshing floor.  Uzzah, a well-meaning preacher, thrust his hand upward to steady the Ark.  Immediately he fell dead.  David was stunned.  He would return home perplexed.

 

The king took out his personal copy of the Bible and began to study: “How to handle the presence of God.”  He made a stunning discovery.  David found that God’s holy presence could not be transported on a wagon, but only upon the shoulders of holy men.

 

The same principle dictates the carriage of God’s presence even today.  Only those men and women of God who maintain a submitted spirit qualify to bear His presence.  As the priests stooped down and lifted the Ark (God’s presence) up onto their shoulders, they were, in type, lifting God’s Spirit above their own.  The weight of holy things and the position of God’s Spirit above their human spirit gave testimony of their complete submission to Him.

 

If you are a child of God, then you are a designated “Ark Bearer.”  It is your eternal responsibility to submit yourself to the Spirit of God, then, display that submission to the world as you bear the Presence of God before all men.  If others see your submission, they too will be inspired to submit to God’s Spirit and His Will for their lives.

 

Nothing is more important in the life of God’s children than His Holy Presence.  You have been entrusted with the enormous responsibility of exemplifying what Jesus Christ can do with a body of believers who are totally submitted to Him.  So, be wise in your conduct and humble in your calling.  Submit your will to God so that you can honorably transport His Presence among men.