The Presence

The Presence

(Jeremiah 29:10-14)

Yearly Theme:  “Goodness is… Glorious”

Series Title:  “Beyond the Noise”

November 3^rd, 2024

Something to think about:

In her book Invitation to Solitude and Silence, Ruth Haley Barton writes,

“To Stay on the journey into solitude and silence now is to stay with the experience of seeing ourselves as we are in God’s presence, as challenging as it is.  In solitude we stop defending against the reality of our condition, we give up our attempts to control the outcomes of our journey because we can finally see it is quite beyond our ability to control.  We let go of our attachment to the pieces of ourselves that we have allowed to define us.  We endure the storm created by the old self as it frantically tries to maintain control.

“During this part of the journey, we may also experience grief as we begin to see all the ways we cut ourselves off from the love that our heart longs for.  We may become aware that the pain we have experienced is not merely the result of evil ‘out there’ but also a result of patterns of sin and brokenness that have hardened in and around our own heart.”[1]

Turn in your Bible to:  Jeremiah 29:10-14

It must be noted that before we get into practical application of this passage there is a historical framework that has been taken out of context in our day.  Often used as a nice verse for graduates, Theologian Christopher Writes explains:

“Jeremiah 29:11 probably ranks as one of the most quoted and most claimed promises of the Bible.  It is found in countless text calendars, pretty pictures, and sacred ornaments.  It is rightly trusted as a very precious word of assurance from God.  But do we take note of its context?  This is a surprising word of hope to a people who stood under God’s judgment.  It is not a glib happy feeling:  ‘God’s going to be nice to us all, me especially’ (we should note that the ‘you’ is plural, not individual—this is primarily a promise to the people as a whole).  It is rather the robust affirmation that even in and through the fires of judgment there can be hope in the grace and goodness of God.  That is God’s ultimate plan and purpose.  The promise stands firm, but it does not preclude or neutralize judgment.  Rather it presupposes but transcends judgment.”^[2]

Having taken note of that, let’s now consider the timeless nature of GOD’s message in this passage.  As He instructs and encourages His people during a time of judgment, GOD also does for His people today.  This leads us to our key point…

Key Point:  “To experience the pure presence of GOD, we must seek Him with our whole heart.”

How can we truly experience the pure presence of GOD?  Let’s break this down further:

• We must be willing to admit that GOD’s  are better than ours.

Jeremiah 29:11a (NLT),  “I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord.

• We must be willing to seek GOD’s  for us rather than our own.

Jeremiah 29:11b (NLT),  “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

• We must be willing to seek GOD with all of our  .

Jeremiah 29:12-14a (NLT),  ¹² In those days when you pray, I will listen.  ¹³ If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.  ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” says the Lord.

Something to take home:

It’s not until we seek GOD with our whole heart and stand completely in His presence with what is true about ourselves, that we are able to encounter His utter and complete love for us.  And this is what GOD truly desires for us to experience.  Though a part of His nature is wrath and judgment because of sin, the overwhelming essence of His nature is love.  Sadly, we avoid His presence because most of us feel unlovable.  As a result, we stand on the outskirts of His Kingdom and His throne room, peering in from the outside, when all the while He is calling us to come inside and experience His abundance. 

We have to get over the uncomfortableness of this experience in order to truly become free of the bondage that sin and death have on us.  Until we are willing to shed our pride, come clean about our sin, and submit to seeking GOD wholeheartedly, we will continue to live under the weight of shame.

Barton writes,

“Where do we go once we realize that we have been living in bondage and we have glimpsed the way of freedom?  The only real option is to face it bravely, knowing that truth-seeing will ultimately lead us into freedom.  This is all we can do.  It does no good trying to fix what we see.  It is useless to make excuses for what we see.  It is cowardly to blame others for what we see.  And denying what we see just puts us right back in the mess.  The only thing we can do is to keep our whole selves turned toward God even as we endure the grief and unsettledness that the seeing brings.”[3]

This is where healing and freedom is found:  In the pure presence of GOD!

Key Point:  “To experience the pure presence of GOD, we must seek Him with our whole heart.”

[1] Ruth Haley Barton, Invitation to Solitude and Silence, (InterVarsity Press:  Downers Grove, Illinois; 2010), 108-109.

^[2] Wright, Christopher J. H. 2014. The Message of Jeremiah: Grace in the End. Edited by Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball. The Bible Speaks Today. Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press.

[3] Invitation to Solitude and Silence, 109.