“My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” Psalms‬ ‭42:2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

When can I appear before God? When will I see you and have relief? When will I perceive your presence?

What Korah was saying is, ‘Lord, I am hurting and it’s not going away. If I can only see You everything will be tolerable until I get through!”

This is the cry of a longing heart that seeks fulfillment. The troubled soul crying for rest. The battered heart with raised hands in surrender crying for a glimpse of Jehovah, the broken heart healer. The mind that is searching and thirsty for real life. In need of real acceptance. Someone that understands. Forgiveness from the Creator, able to forgive themselves for hurting those closest to them and knowing they need forgiveness from those they hurt the most...as the deer pants for water in a dry land so does the soul of the one that seeks for God. Not an unidentifiable higher power. Not an imaginary large personality, not a virtual puff cloud, But God...v2 the Living God. The giver of life, the merciful One. The one that judges right. The God that forgives. The God that knows your hurts, your failures, your selfishness and accepts you for you. He is the Living God.

But when? When can you appear before God? When can you come into the presence of God. When can you perceive Him?

Anytime you choose to accept the path that God has made for you. The path is paved in red. Red is for the blood of Jesus that made a way for you into the very presence of a God...the living God. The Bible is a love letter filled with promises sealed with a covenant. These two things are unchangeable for God. Therefore God promises, Come to Me (Jesus) and I will give you rest and in my (Jesus) presence is fullness of joy. How do you appear before God? The last verse of this Psalm is the answer, v.11 ‘Hope in God, for yet shall I praise Him’. The place of God’s presence is in the midst of your praise...praise Him today.