9-24-19 The First 15

The Overview Throughout Scripture we see countless examples of God meeting with man and countless lives being transformed as the result. These examples are in Scripture to stir our faith and fill us with a desire to meet with our Creator. When we read about the life of David, we should be filled with a longing to live as he did, centered around meeting with our heavenly Father. When we read about Gideon or Moses, we should long to know our God as they did. When we read about Jesus coming down to us or his heart for the woman caught in adultery, we should respond by pursuing encounters with our Savior. And when we read of Pentecost and Jesus’ second coming, we should seek out the fullness of God’s presence available to us on this earth in preparation for the age that is to come. May your heart be filled with a wholehearted desire to pursue meeting with God this week. “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.” - Psalm 84:1-2 The Worship Experience Cory Asbury Song: Your Love Is Strong

The Devotional The meetings between God and David shaped human history forever. David knew what it was to be in the presence of God. In fact, being in God’s presence was his fuel, greatest joy, and source of courage. In Psalm 16:11 David writes, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” And in verse 5 he writes, “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.” David was a man who consistently chose to meet with God over filling his days with the fleeting and unsatisfying things of the world. He centered his life around meeting with God, and it changed the history of not only his nation, but nations to come.   In 1 Samuel 17:34-37, we see a glimpse into the impact of David meeting with God early in his life. Scripture says,   But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” Out on the fields, David learned of God’s power and desire for deliverance. He learned what it was to meet with God in the daily work of life. And he carried that knowledge with him into every battle, trial, and failure. We see it in Psalm 16:1-2 where David prays, “Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.'” King David, the greatest king that ever sat on the throne of Israel, claimed, “I have no good apart from you.” David, about whom 1 Chronicles 29:28 says, “Then he died at a good age, full of days, riches, and honor,” claimed he had no good apart from the Lord. David knew that God’s presence was the best part of life. He knew that meeting with his heavenly Father was far greater than any victory, possession, status, or honor. And it was for that reason that he lived a life full of the very thing he sought: the presence of the living God. Your heavenly Father longs to meet with you as he did David. He loves you the same as he loved David. And through the powerful sacrifice of Jesus, you have even greater access to the heart of God. You have God, the Holy Spirit dwelling within you. Choose today to seek meeting with God above all else. Center your life around the presence of your heavenly Father the way David did. Live for transformational encounters with God and watch as the things of this world fall into proper place, providing you with transcendent peace, joy, and purpose in the midst of any circumstance.

The Prayer 1. Meditate on David’s longing for the presence of God. Allow Scripture to fill you with a desire to meet with your heavenly Father as David did. “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.” Psalm 16:5 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11 “Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.'” Psalm 16:1-2 2. Allow these other Scriptures to fill you with faith to encounter the presence of God. The Holy Spirit is dwelling within you, ready to lead you into a transformational encounter with your heavenly Father. “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” Psalm 139:7 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 3. Take time to meet with God. Ask him to reveal his nearness to you. Ask him to give you a passion for his presence like David had. Choose to center your life around the goodness of his nearness today. “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” Psalm 84:10

How much better would our lives be if we simply chose to center them around meeting with the eternal, living, and active God of love? What would it be like to seek his counsel throughout our days? What would it be like to live wholly loved, liked, set free, and filled with his presence? Through Jesus, more has been made available to us than we know. We’ve been granted access to the fullness of life, love, and freedom. All that is required of us is to make space in our days and seek meeting with God above all else. May we as the bride of Christ choose to love our bridegroom above all else. Extended Reading: Psalm 16 or watch The Bible Project’s video on Psalms.