H. L. Sheppard

Bulletin

January 2007

PRACTICE THE PRESENCE

OF THE LORD

Seventy-three of the one hundred fifty Psalms are ascribed to David. His writings are unique in that they herald a common theme: THE OMNI-PRESENCE OF GOD. As the Shepherd is never far from the flock under his care, so God is never far from those over whom He watches. The gentle shepherd of the Psalms proclaims God’s presence repeatedly in his book of songs:

1) Ps. 3:5 “I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.”

2) Ps. 4:3 “…The LORD will hear when I call unto him.”

3) Ps. 6:9 “The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.”

4) Ps. 9:9 “The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.”

5) Ps. 11:7 “His countenance doth behold the upright.

6) Ps. 16:8 “I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”

7) Ps. 18:2 “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”

8) Ps. 22:3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest (Heb. Enthroned upon) the praises of Israel.”

9) Ps. 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

10) Ps. 119:151 “Thou art near, O LORD; and all thy commandments are truth.

Whether David was relaxing under a shade tree in some quiet meadow, or hiding deep in the confines of a dark damp cave, he was always aware of God’s presence.

In his 139^th. Psalm David, the king, dictates a new song to his chief musician. The entire Psalm is dedicated to the Omnipresence of God Almighty.

1) Ps. 139:7 “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?”

2) Ps. 139:8 “If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.”

3) Ps. 139:9 “If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;”

4) Ps. 139:10 “Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.”

5) Ps. 139:11 “If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.”

It seemed that circumstances did not dictate David’s awareness of God’s presence.

How is it possible for a man to be so acutely aware of God’s constant presence? The answer is simple: David “Practiced The Presence The Lord.”

PRACTICE = To do or perform habitually or customarily; make a habit of^{^[1]}

David so integrated God into his life that he actually made sensing the presence of God a spiritual habit. This spiritual habit had such a profound effect upon his flesh, that even that part of him submitted itself to the overpowering presence of God. We find only rare exceptions to this truism regarding David practicing of God’s presence when:

1) He cut off a piece of King Saul’s robe to let the king know he could have taken his life. David’s heart ached after this display of insubordinate superiority (I Sam. 24:4-5).

2) His indiscretion with Bathsheba and the resultant crimes associated with his sin of adultery (II Sam. 12:13).

3) The sin of pride caused David much grief and brought death to thousands after he numbered the people (II Sam. 24:10).

So ingrained into the nature of David was the omni-presence (everywhere present) of God that he penned the 23^rd. Psalm. He was actually depicting his own tenure as an ever-watchful shepherd who always had his eye upon the sheep. Even in the “valley of the shadow of death” David proclaimed: “thou art with me.” He was so intent on having God present at all times and in every moment of his life, that he insisted on placing Jehovah at the head of the flock and he himself among the lowly sheep who followed closely at the shepherd’s heels.

Time and again in the Word of God we encounter men of great faith and boldness who practiced the presence of the Lord. They lived in a time when death from any quarter was considered a likelihood, not just a possibility. There was always the concern that, without the presence of God, even the elements could rise up against them and eradicate an entire lineage. But these were men who knew the necessity of arising in the morning and lying down in the evening with the same thought in mind: “I must remind myself of the nearness of God,” and so they “Practiced the Presence” of the Lord.

We live in an age of cataclysmic-carnality. Such an upheaval of sin and worldly indulgence has never before been witnessed in the history of the world. It has grown so overwhelming that Jesus Christ, who anticipated this day, promised that He would return and rapture His Church. He pledged to return as “a thief in the night.” That is, at a time when people are asleep, and few are actually alert and watching.

Therefore, we are proclaiming 2007 as the year that we:

“PRACTICE THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD”

While others are stumbling habitually along through life watching the same old television programs, punching a clock, cleaning house or a thousand other daily rituals; we, The Church of Columbus will now, more than ever before, begin making the “Presence of God” a moment by moment habit. We will be ever more conscientious of the need to “Practice His Presence.” We will put God first in our mind’s thought in the morning when we arise. We will practice, that is we will make a habit of His presence, as we go about our daily routines of working, driving, shopping, schooling. We will put God at the forefront of our mind’s thought in every action and activity that we participate in every day. We will lie down to sleep at night with His Presence being our last thought. In the year 2007 we will:

“PRACTICE THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD”