2 Chronicles 5:13-14 “It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.”
At first glance, one might think a decent card hand or the place where a hoarder lives. But, it could also mean that there is a house full of strife, contention, and discord. The writer of 2 Chronicles tells us historically what they saw.
The music that was playing was in perfect synchronization. The people were all playing the same song so sweetly. The voices that sang with the music praised God, singing:
“For he is good, and his mercy endureth forever.”
The result of such an orchestration was the glory of God filling the whole house of God.
There have been times when I have felt the sweet Holy Spirit of God come to rest on a meeting. It has been when a song of worship or praise was being sung. It was when the truth of the message became so intense; conviction came upon us all; to the place where the congregation came to the altar during the message.
At that altar, there were some repenting of sin, others praying for forgiveness. Some came to be saved, though the message was not about salvation. Some had been holdouts from doing the will of God. Now, with a broken will and a humble heart, they wanted to follow God’s path for their lives.
But I have also had personal times; sacred times when I felt like God had just stepped across the threshold of my room. At that time, I wanted more; more of the presence of God. If the Bible spoke of the fulness of the Holy Spirit, and it does, that is what I wanted. I so desired His fulness and blessing that I fasted and prayed for it.
The journey I embarked upon brought deep repentance of such selfishness, pride, lying, hypocrisy, past sins unresolved, and so much more.
It is incredible when you come into the presence of pure holiness, how unworthy, and filthy you feel. When God’s glory began to fill the room, I fell on my face almost immediately. I started to confess sins brought to the mind that had been hiding from me. Tears flowed freely. Once the confession stopped, I never felt such cleanliness of my soul since being saved.
In His presence, praise flowed from my lips. Thankfulness and gratitude overflowed from my heart. I felt enveloped with a love I had no words to explain.
Just as God’s glory had filled the house that Solomon had built, God filled my soul with His glory and His presence that day. Since that day, I have not tried to regenerate the same situation and circumstances that brought that day about; I have humbly asked for a constant outpouring of that same sweet Spirit that filled my soul so many years ago.
Ephesians 5:18-21 “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”
Some have preached that this is the recipe for personal revival; others, for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. I believe God wanted us to be ready at all times to have intimate, and private fellowship on such a level, that we would be in a constant state of hunger for His presence.
There is an invitation to a type of fellowship that becomes so intimate; you come face to face with the reality of just how much God loves you.
In the journey to His fulness, there is a humbling of ourselves that is total, utter, and complete. Knowing that God is in full right and possession of my soul because He paid the precious price to redeem it begins the process of allowing Him to have access that no other person has ever had. I think of it as the nooks and crannies where the more uncomely parts of ourselves live.
Inviting God to have full access, means He can come and touch that wounded part that we’ve sealed behind locked doors. Memories of abuse, neglect, hate, discord, worldly lust, and a life we keep hidden from every other eye; God asks for the key to enter.
When we hold back our submission because of our wants, dreams, and desires, we are saying “Keep Out” to the God who already owns what’s behind the barriers we put up. The fruit of His presence and His fulness is revealed in Galatians:
Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
Nine attributes of one fruit. They are distinct from one another, but all generated from the same Holy Spirit. When these are present in us, we are becoming more like God’s Son; Jesus Christ.
God desires His perfect work be done in us. Everything I touch is tainted with sin. Only God has the perfect touch and ability to make me what it is He commands me to be. When He does, His glory in us will be evident.
Moses spent forty days and forty nights on a mountaintop in the presence of God. When he came down, his face shone so brightly; the people cried for him to cover it for they could not bear the intensity of it.
We may not ‘glow’ as Moses did in that day, but our lives should reflect that we have been with our Savior with the glory that only He can display. He says:
John 12:32 “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”
May we desire first to be filled with the Spirit. Then, lift Him up for all to see and invite all to taste and see just how marvelous our God truly is!
Daily Manna 