The fire of His presence…

Exodus 3:4-5 "When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, 'Moses, Moses!' And he said, 'Here I am.' Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."

As Moses approached the burning bush with shoes removed, he hid his face, because “he was afraid to look at God.” He was completely aware of his frailty and utter sinfulness. It reminds me of Peter when he witnessed the supernatural catch of the day which broke their nets and almost caused their boat to sink.

Luke 5:8 "When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, 'Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.'"

Knees buckling beneath him, he had a momentary revelation of the absolute “otherness” of Jesus. I would imagine that taste of His Holiness lingered within Peter’s spirit for some time.

Isaiah 6:5 "Then I said, 'Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.'"

Have you ever felt the Spirit of God or experienced His presence in such a powerful way that you were literally undone? In addition to all the biblical accounts of encounters with God, I've heard countless testimonies of God revealing His Reality to many, many people.

Revelation 1:17-18 "When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, 'Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.'"

As I consider the times that I have actually tasted the holiness of God, my overwhelming sense has been that I know in that moment that I am entirely loved. I can honestly say that I have felt His hand upon my head, calming me in His presence, assuring me of His tender mercy. Oh, the glory of being near to Him...