Jacob lived life in the fast lane, doing business deals and making lots of money; unlike David, who was in the slow lane tending a flock of sheep in his pasture. But here’s what each of them said about God. ‘When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”’ On the other hand, David said: ‘I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure’ (Psalm 16:7-9 NIV). Notice the difference? Jacob was so busy that he failed to recognise God’s voice or cultivate an awareness of His presence. But David said, ‘I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.’ Those words are the simplest and best definition of spiritual life. The Bible says, ‘We have the mind of Christ’ (1 Corinthians 2:16 KJV). For us, that means Christ can think His thoughts through us. Whenever we have a feeling of reassurance, or a sense of guidance, or we feel the conviction of sin, it means God is present with us. We often hear people talking about ‘walking with God’, which simply means being aware of His presence and paying attention to Him. So let’s resolve to slow down, pay attention, and honour His presence by responding to Him.

What Now?

Set aside a good chunk of time today (30 minutes or more) to just rest and allow God to reveal His presence to you. Try to do this regularly, as often as you can, until you’re very familiar with how His presence feels to you.