Heaven is His Presence

15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

17 And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”

18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”

Exodus 33

What direction is heaven? When we use a locational reference, we say that we go upwards to heaven. This makes sense when we think of what is vast and unknown. The final frontier would be the likely place that God might be. But Moses understood much more than geography when it came to the Lord. I would hope so, given that he was wandering in the desert for 40 years. Moses was privileged to know more than directions, more than a destination, and more than the specific plans for the people. Moses was privileged to know God.

If we were to interview Moses and ask, "Mr. Moses, where is heaven?"

Moses might chuckle and say, "Well, I know where heaven is not."

"What do you mean?" We might ask.

"Heaven," Moses would say, "Would not be where the Lord isn't."

In that moment we would realize that Moses was referring to the presence of the Lord. The presence of the Lord is our final destination. It doesn't really matter where this might be. It could be on earth or it could be off-earth. It could be in a metaphysical dimension. None of this really matters, what matters is that we are in union with Him, and we are present where He is.

As Jesus taught us in the Lord's prayer, we are asking for God's Kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven. In God's Kingdom, we are experiencing the rule and reign of God in all things. We are experiencing His presence. The good news is that we can experience a taste of heaven right now! We don't have to wait until we have passed from this world.

1. Seek out a relationship with our heavenly Father, His son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. God has availed Himself to us generously, and we can partake in all that we desire. Moses recognized the most important part of His calling, and it was to be in relationship with the Lord.

2. God has designed us to commune with Him. We do not have to try and gerry rig our own apparatus of spiritual communication. He already placed within our DNA the ability to enjoy His presence and to participate in a relationship with Him. Prayer is merely the practice of communion that we all have. Be steadfast in your communing with the Lord and we will have His presence.

3. God has promised His Holy Spirit to be with us. This is the tangible presence of God that we can experience which is like having His hand on our shoulder. The fullness of His presence might not be experienced until we are with Him, but He has not left us alone in this world. This is the benefit that we all have now since Christ came. We are blessed to have Him with us in this way. The Holy Spirit is His present helper.

Father,

I am so glad to have you with me. Thank you for reaching out to each of us and offering us your hand. I pray that you may never leave me and that you will be with all whom you call your own. Bless my family with your Holy Spirit and may we never leave without your presence.

Amen