David says, ”By God I will praise His word.”  (Psa. 56:4, The Amplified Bible and so also the Norwegian Bible).  He doesn´t say, “By His word I will praise God”.  That would have been true too.  But the point here is that our appreciation of His word is solely due to the fact that He is there!

If He isn´t there, the Bible has no value, no power, no life, no delight.  But the fact that He is there makes His word such a thrill, doesn´t it?

Sometimes we as Christians may be hairsplitting this and that tiny piece of theology to the effect that the consciousness of God may not be there at all.  In stead a lot of quibbling may be there, while the hearts remain strangely cold and unaffected.  O, let us gather with a genuine sensitiveness of His presence and be moved by it.  Only then His word will be praised instead of being just mentally explored.

I once asked a group of children what they thought it meant when Jesus said, “Where two or three have gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst”.  A little boy by name of Jesper said, “I think it means that He´s sitting right beside us!”  Matth. Henry or any of my good Bible commentators couldn´t have given a better answer.

Let us encourage each other to be conscious of His presence as we with reverence open our Bibles.  We do it because He is there!

-jn-

March 5, 2010.