Praise the Lord! What a joy it is to gather in His presence and worship together. Every time we come before God, something within us changes. This morning, I want to share something that’s been stirring in my heart for several days — a message about the presence of God.
Now, I’ll be honest — this isn’t a brand-new idea or a mysterious revelation. It’s a truth we’ve all heard before, but when it really takes hold of our hearts, it can transform our walk with God. My prayer is that as you read this, you won’t just absorb information, but that you’ll feel the presence of the One we’re talking about — Jesus Himself.
1. God Desires to Dwell With Us
From the very beginning, God’s desire has been to dwell among His people. Genesis tells us that He created mankind “in His image, according to His likeness” (Genesis 1:26). Among everything He created — the sun, the moon, the animals, and the stars — only humanity was made in His image. Why? Because God longed for relationship.
In the Garden of Eden, Adam walked and talked with God in the cool of the day. Can you imagine that kind of closeness? Sin hadn’t entered yet, and there was no barrier between man and God. That has always been His desire — to dwell with His people.
Even after the fall, God kept pursuing relationship. He spoke with Cain and Abel, walked with Enoch, and guided Noah. He met Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — the patriarchs — and they responded by building altars. Every altar represented an invitation: “God, dwell among us.”
Later, in Exodus 13:21, as Israel journeyed through the wilderness, “The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light.” God was visibly with them — His presence guiding, protecting, and dwelling among them.
2. The Tabernacle: A Picture of God’s Desire
When Moses received the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai, God also gave him an important instruction:
“Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them.”
(Exodus 25:8, NASB 1995)
This wasn’t a random idea. God was revealing His heart: I want to be among My people. The tabernacle — that tent in the wilderness — was designed exactly according to God’s pattern. It wasn’t a monument of human creativity; it was a divine blueprint showing how God intended to live with us.
Inside the tabernacle was the Ark of the Covenant — a golden box symbolizing God’s throne on earth. Inside the Ark were three items:
The tablets of the Law – pointing to Christ, who perfectly fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5:17).
A golden pot of manna – pointing to Jesus, the true bread from heaven who said, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:48).
Aaron’s rod that budded – a dead stick that came to life, symbolizing resurrection power and authority — the same power that raised Jesus from the dead.
Above the Ark was the mercy seat, with two cherubim facing one another. That mercy seat represented God’s throne — where the blood of atonement was sprinkled once a year. It foreshadowed the ultimate sacrifice that would come through Jesus Christ.
In John 1:14, we read,
“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory.”
The Greek word for “dwelt” literally means “tabernacled.” Jesus came and pitched His tent among us! He was the living, breathing fulfillment of the tabernacle — God’s presence in human form.
3. Jesus: Our Mercy Seat and Dwelling Place
When the women went to the tomb on resurrection morning, they found something remarkable. John 20:12 says they “saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying.”
That’s the mercy seat! Two angels facing each other where the atoning blood had been shed — the fulfillment of everything the Ark represented.
Through His death and resurrection, Jesus became our mercy seat — our throne of grace. Hebrews 4:16 says,
“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
When we come to Jesus, we’re not coming to a distant God. We’re coming into the very presence of the One who made a way for us to dwell with Him forever.
And that same presence isn’t confined to a building or a Sunday service. Revelation 21:3 gives us a glimpse of eternity:
“Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them.”
God, who cannot be contained by the universe, chooses to live in the hearts of those who are humble and repentant. He makes His home in us.
4. LET US THEREFORE COME BOLDLY UNTO HIM
For years, I knew about the Mercy Seat in the tabernacle of Moses and I knew the verse in Hebrews 4:16 that says “Throne of Grace” but weren’t able to connect the two because I thought “grace” was different from “mercy” and “seat” was different from “throne.” Technically, they are. But we have to remember that these are translated from two different languages: Hebrew and Greek. And God, through the writer of Hebrews, is speaking about the same place where the presence of God rests. (In fact, in other languages such as Malayalam, the same word is used for the two.) Hallelujah!
So, what does this mean for us today?
It means that we don’t have to wait for a special moment or a “mountain-top” worship experience to feel God. We can walk with Him daily, just as Adam did — in constant fellowship. When sin runs deep, His grace runs deeper. Where He is, we find freedom — not freedom to do whatever we want, but freedom to love Him and reflect His nature.
Holiness isn’t about trying harder to be good. It’s Christ being formed in us. The more we walk with Him, the more His presence changes us — our desires, our attitudes, our hearts.
So today, let’s come boldly to His mercy seat. Let’s seek His presence with all our hearts. Because when His presence fills our lives, everything else fades — fear, guilt, and striving give way to peace, joy, and transformation.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for desiring to dwell with us. Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, who became our tabernacle and our mercy seat. Fill us with Your presence. Transform us from the inside out. May Your glory be revealed in us as we walk with You daily. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
“In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”
— Psalm 16:11 (NASB 1995)