As a beast goes down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest: so didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious name. Isaiah 63:4.
Nimes 02-02-21

No man has seen God at any time: God is a Spirit, the Father of all spirits, and the God of all flesh. From the scripture, there are three major things which the believers are warn several times to guide against disregarding in their walk with God in such things as (a) to guard against disobedient, self-willed and damnable stubborn spirit to rebel against the word of God. Psalms 107:11:  (b) warning against despising the holiness of God (without which no man shall see him) which is now made known unto us through the unblemished blood that sanctify us (Hebrews 10:29) such as the two sons of Eli did despised the holiness of God in the temple and were forever removed from the priesthood and likewise destroyed by God: (c) warning against despising or ignoring the unfailing- ever abiding presence of God who is not only with us, around us, before us and in us in our good or bad times (and all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, why chide ye with me? Wherefore do ye tempt the Lord? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, what shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. And the Lord said unto Moses, go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smoothest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not? Exodus 17:1-7), but he is above us, watching over us day and night in every step of the way until he fulfils his works to perfection in us: for the Lord’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. As an eagle stirs up her nest, fluttered over her young, spreads abroad her wings, takes them, and bears them on her wings: so, the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him. Deuteronomy 32: 9-12.
There are manifold promises of God’s abiding presence given unto us from both the old and new testaments of the scripture which are designed to strengthen and to boost or uplift our spiritual, mental, physical and moral courage in the way of duty in our daily walk before him that we might serve him acceptably with reverence and godly fear. The greatest comfort and attestation of his very presence with us even as the mountain is round about Jerusalem is that in him, we live, move and have our being. Acts17:28. God is with us as long as we are with him; that is, as long as we seek him, he will be found of us, but if we forsake him, he will also forsake us (2 Chronicles 15:2) and I do hope that we can see the importance to heed the call to draw near increasingly in our personal devotion and consecration to God (James 4:8), filled with his thoughts and mindful of him in all our ways by making constant confession to his presence in the consciousness and readiness to obey his guidance like David’s habitual constant confession of self – reassurance in the way of duty and obedience (the Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me. Psalms23. 1 Samuel 17:37. There is no other person like David apart from Christ who is the best example of a constant guidance from God. David will later let us know the Lord as his guidance – Shepherd. He will tell us how the Lord leads him into a place of fresh spiritual food – green pastures. Shouldn’t we also pray and ask for guidance into a good church where the word is spoken in truth and sincerity, in undiluted word and in deed? David goes on to say that he was led or guided to a place of spiritual quietness, beside the still waters, for in quietness shall be your strength. Finally, he will let us know that there is no unrighteousness with God who love righteousness and hates sin as he was led by the Lord in the path’s righteousness for his name’s sake. Psalms 23:1-3. The only failure recorded in the scripture as his failure was his neglect of divine presence in guidance at the time when the kings go out to battle, but he chose to stay behind at Jerusalem for the sin of adultery with Uriah’s wife (1 Kings 15: 5) which brought him the greatest troubles and sorrows of his life and kingdom, and partially altered the future plans of God of his generation after him, for the kingdom was divided into two while ten tribes was given to another and two was given to his seeds after him. David will sooner show us again in the war with his sworn enemy, the Philistines when they heard that he was coronated as king over all Israel and they came up to fight him, that accompaniment or presence through guidance should never be taken for granted in all our ways but to acknowledge God in every occasion or situation. Twice did the Philistines fought to resist David’s kingdom and rule for they remember what he did to Goliath and they don’t want his kingdom established for the fear of him: twice were they defeated of the same battle because twice did David consulted after the Lord for guidance on how to fight the battle against the enemy who won’t easily give up until the Lord burst out against his enemy like a bursting flood and his fame spread throughout every land, and the Lord made all nations fear him. 1 Chronicles 14: 8 -17.
Before the crossing of the red sea into the wilderness, God’s abiding presence was revealed as the pillar of fire to protect the Israelis by night and as a pillar of cloud to guide them by day. As long as the cloud rested or moved, the children of Israel likewise rested and moved, either by day or by night, a day; week or months. It is not a fantasy of word or a mere promise given unto us by Christ that he will be with us always to the end of the earth. This promise is fulfilled when the Lord comes to dwell in us through his Holy Spirit, when we become his habitation through his Spirit (in whom all the building fitly framed together grows unto a holy temple in the Lord:  in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit. Ephesians 2:21-23) given unto us at regeneration to teach us into all truth, and whenever he receives or heard things from the Father to show or speak them unto us: much more, he will lead us into the will, works and purposes of God as sons and daughters of the heavenly Father: for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Romans 8:14.
Though we are sealed by the Spirit of God as mark that we are his unto the day of redemption, but he can be vexed, despised, ignored, be chased out if we continually walk in the flesh to allow seven other wicked evil spirits to come back to us, and his fire quenched in us according to the scripture. There are lots of unacceptable comportments and verbal utterances to avoid if we are not to vex, grieve and despise the presence of God in the person of the Spirit of grace we have received of him. The Israelis manifested such unbroken behaviors and repeatedly speaks many of such unpleasant corrupt communication to vex God in the wilderness (murmured, complained, were proud to God, despised his salvation and trainings in the comparison of it to the life in Egypt) therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them. Isaiah 63:10. Note: whatever it is, good or bad, lack, want and plenty, such as Christ that comes from above is above all (John 3:31), likewise are all they which are born in him which is from above are living in abundant of life above all things on earth, for the life from above through the new birth in Christ in whom the fullness of God resides is abundantly sufficient through his grace for the redeemed to be able to do all things through him that gives them strength.
We should not think of disregarding than to cherish, acknowledge, and sanctify divine presence in our daily walk in every conversation, challenges, oppositions and whatever days in our life, be it the days of prosperity or adversity. The heart of man devises his way, but the Lord by his Holy Spirit works to direct his steps or paths. Proverbs 16:9. We cannot and we should not shrug of the presence and guidance of the Spirit of God if we want to please God and get satisfactory result of spiritual fruitfulness of meaningful and pleasing walk of an impactful ministry or services, approval and reward of the Lord for our labor of love, except we seek for death and destruction as the young prophet who was sent to Bethel disobeyed God’s instruction by his lack of discernment of spirit to fall by the deception of the old prophet and was killed by lion sent from God for ignoring divine instruction through guidance. We cannot go wherever we like to go just because he has promised to always be with us without his approval and guidance, lest we be found where we are not meant to be used, in a place the Lord has nothing for us do in particular for him – as bird wanders from his nest (Proverbs 27:8), so is the man that wanders away from the place of divine guidance – what are you doing here Elijah? 1 Kings 19:13.
God will sometimes lead or bring you into a place of learning and quietness like the potter’s house, to see things for spiritual lessons and personal development, but not to speak, preach or do anything for him at such place, but just to see. Sometimes, we discover a new place of opportunity to make the Lord known, and we choose to rise up to the occasion, nonetheless, if the Spirit of God has not given us leave or permission to go (now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, after they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. Acts 16:6-7), we shouldn’t go, lest we go for nothing and labor in vain for the work he has not assigned for us to do.
Like Prophet Jonas thought that he can run away from the Lord’s presence, those that will run away from divine guidance in the ways of duty shall definitely run into destructive trouble which is greater in proportion than the normal but victorious trouble they may encounter in the pathway of obedience to the guidance of God. Why do some Christian get caught up and destroyed in trouble? Why are some brethren defeated in the battle they fought at the valley, plain or in the mountain? Is not the God of the mountain the same as the God of the plain and valley? 1 Kings 20:28. Do not fight any battle you are not led to engage for the Lord (but there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for the Lord is not with Israel, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim. But if thou wilt go, do it; be strong for the battle: God shall make thee fall before the enemy: for God hath power to help, and to cast down. And Amaziah said to the man of God, but what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this. 2 Chronicles 25:7-9) if you don’t want to be defeated before the vicious blood thirsting enemy.
Is there any accursed behavior (for if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin? Galatians 2:18. Romans 6:6) or any object of any accurse things in your life or at home? Those could open the door to the enemy to assault you repeatedly with success (and the Lord said unto Joshua, get thee up; wherefore lie thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore, the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. Up, sanctify the people, and say, sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for thus says the Lord God of Israel, there is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before your enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you. Joshua 7:12-13); you should therefore remove every accurse things from your life and home in holiness unto the Lord, so that the power of his glorious presence which is hindered by your breach of the edge might be reveals in you and the enemy who has risen up against you to eat up your flesh should fall and stumble before you.
God works timely with us and divine guidance is timely as well: to miss out a guidance can be costly just as we can see in the lives and experience of the Israelis in the wilderness when they refused to go up against the inhabitants of the land of their possession in battle, but by the time they changed their minds to go up, God has spoken against them not to give them the land anymore but that they should wander and die in the wilderness. Note: though people may leave you behind them, leave them to run as fast they could, you should only make sure that you don’t leave God behind you, but to walk with him step by step in the way. Don’t go where others are going, except God instructs you to go with them: and don’t stay where they are like Elisha refused to stay behind in the cities the sons of the prophets were found though Elijah his master bids him to stay with the rest at bethel, Jericho and other cities, but he would not because he was instructed by God not to stay behind or be with them until he sees his master taken up to heaven. Come out of the box: if you ignore divine guidance by the mockery or discouragement of people in your life, or you willingly refuse to follow after God’s guidance by whatever reason of a safety zone, either by the lies and deception of Satan to frightens you, you therefore bring yourself to a worst case scenario of spiritual isolation, independent and loneliness from God, and you will certainly lose glory and testimonies of exploits of divine elevation and promotion meant for your glory (and he said, my presence shall go with thee, and I will give you rest. And he said unto him, if thy presence goes not with me, carry us not up hence.  For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? Is it not in that thou go with us? So shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. Exodus 33:14-16), and neglecting the Lord’s presence is more or less like the old time you when you were once living in the world without God in the world. Ephesians 2:12.
They shall be like others men are, whosoever despises the presence of God or ignores the guidance and the instructions of it just as Samson became as an ordinary man after he betrayed the covenant of his God, to ignore divine presence for the presence of Delilah in his life, but by the time he sought for the manifestation of the glory and power of God’s presence, he was disappointed, not knowing that God had departed from him. Judges16:20. It is a punishable and damnable sin of self-willed, rebellious spirit and stubbornness of heart to ignore or neglect the Lord’s presence and guidance if we reluctantly and cowardly back away from duty or commitment as the result of the challenges and difficulties before us (and they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the Lord hath promised: for we have sinned. And Moses said, wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the Lord? But it shall not prosper. Go not up, for the Lord is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies. For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the Lord, therefore the Lord will not be with you. But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless, the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and Moses, departed not out of the camp. Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah. Numbers 20:40-45) despite of his promises to be with us and to deliver us from six, seven problems and redeem us from all troubles: though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shall stretch forth your hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. Job 5:19. Psalms 138:7.
Those who will make it to heaven must be led by the Spirit of God to walk daily with him even as Enoch once walked with him until he was taken away alive to heaven without seeing death, for God took him away. Genesis 5:24. Let us walk after the Lamb wherever he leads us until the day dawn and the day star arises in our hearts when we that are alive and remain shall be changed and caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we be with him forever. 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
If you have made up your mind with a purpose of heart, that your soul should follow hard after God (Psalms 63:8) in the place of abiding in his guidance under any circumstance of which our God is beautiful to manage and to bring under your feet in perfect peace (Psalms 48:2), the glorious power of his abiding presence shall paralyses and weakens the moral power of the wicked and ungodly men on your way (and God said unto Jacob, arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fled from the face of Esau thy brother. Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: and let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. Genesis 35:1-5) to defend and avenge you of the wicked in the pathway of obedience to divine guidance. Genesis 20:18. (B), your limitations shall become your exploitations (and from thence they went to Beer: that is the well whereof the Lord spoke unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water. Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it: the princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah. Numbers 21: 16-18. (C), the oppositions and the fear of the unknown before you shall add up to the testimonies of your faith and trust in the God of your salvation (then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way. Ezra 8:31) as you presently move from one level of power to another power, and from one glory into another glory before you finally enter into the future eternal glory of eternal kingdom: for this God is our God, forever and ever, he will be our guide, even unto death. Psalms 48:14.