The Power of Presence
These are days of scientific and technological advancements far beyond anything we could have imagined only a few years ago. Of course, there have been visionaries (prophets) throughout history, men like DiVinci, Jules Verne, H. G. Wells and many other men and women who described in detail what is common place today. What we once considered only imaginations and ‘science-fiction’ are now realities affecting every aspect of daily life.
Take, for instance, just one small invention: the Transistor. Authors, Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw, describe the impact of transistors in their book, “The Quantum Universe”:
“In 1947, the first transistor was built. Today, every year the world manufacturers over 10,000,000,000,000,000,000, which is one hundred times more than the sum total of all the grains of rice consumed every year by the world’s seven billion residents. The world’s first transistor computer was built in Manchester in 1953, and had ninety-two of them. Today, you can buy over a hundred thousand transistors for the cost of a single grain of rice and there are around a billion of them in your mobile phone.”
“The potential is limitless, and we have already exploited the transistor to change the world enormously. it is probably not overstating things to say that the transistor is the most important invention of the last 100 years-the modern world is built on and shaped by semi-conductor technologies. On a practical level, these technologies have saved millions of lives – we might point in particular to the applications of computing devices in hospitals, the benefits of rapid, reliable and global communication systems and the uses of computers in scientific research and controlling complex industrial processes.” (pp. 161, 173)
   I pulled this single example of transistors out of the vast landscape of discoveries and creative inventions for a reason. None of this would exist at all were it not for a Creator. The transistor did not just pop into existence out of thin air. It along with every other astonishing invention, was created by man. Real creative power rests within every human being. Created in God’s image with all the potential of life far beyond our wildest dreams, we live, move, have our being within the Life Breath of Elohim. As such, we, as no other creature on earth exercise the creative power of His Life every moment we live. And, that is true for every person whether they believe in God or not.
   However, the true potential of creative power can never be fully realized apart from a deep, conscious connection with the source of that power, God Himself. In other words, as amazing as the wonders of creativity we see all around us are, they pale before the wonders of creativity that wait to be released through a deep, intimate relationship with God. That is what is resonating within me at this moment.
   One of the saddest conditions of the lives of many believers in Christ is that, while we believe and firmly declare our union with God, that God through His Spirit dwells within us; nevertheless, we live as though God is not here at all. How else can we explain the fact that while we declare we can do all things through God who strengthens us, who is with us and for us; yet, constantly we abort creative possibilities saying “we can’t” do great things at all in our lives? We settle for little while abundance is all about us. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…..” (Ephesians 3:20) This “power” is God’s Presence. His ability is our possibility. His power at work within us is our creative potential far beyond all we can ever ask or imagine.
   This does require something of us. There must be a shift in us away from the intellectual agreement of Christ in us, to an embracing of the very Presence of Christ in us. Let’s consider for a moment this vision of the prophet Ezekiel:
“Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing toward the east; and behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east, And His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. And it was like the appearance of the vision which I saw, like the vision which I saw when He came to destroy the city. And the visions were like the vision which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face. And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate facing toward the east. And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house. Then I heard one speaking to me from the house, while a man was standing beside me. He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever.” (Ezekiel 43:1-7a)
   I want to speak to this more; but, right now I will just say this. Ezekiel dramatically experienced the Presence of the Lord. God came and literally entered/filled the temple declaring that He had now made this His eternal dwelling place. And, His coming was with power and glory. This is a prophetic picture of who we are in God and He in us; but, until we embrace this reality of God HERE, God within us, filling us fully and eternally with His glory and power we will never experience our true creative potential. But, when we DO embrace the Presence of the Lord–ah, just think of what creative potential we will take hold of and release! DREAM BIG!