LESSON 2: CREATED FOR HIS PRESENCE
MAIN IDEA: God inhabits the praises of His people — He will always meet us there.
As we have seen, God created us in His image to fulfill His purpose — His will. But God also created us simply to enjoy His presence.
Created for His Presence
God’s desire for relationship with man was evident from the beginning. God chose to speak many things into existence, but He chose to speak to man — and an eternal relationship was formed. God even provided a special place for Adam and Eve, a place where God Himself would come and meet with them. We read about this special place in Genesis 2 and 3:
The LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there He placed the man He had formed. Genesis 2:8
The LORD God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. Genesis 2:15
The man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze. Genesis 3:8
When God placed Adam and Eve in the garden, the stage was set. Can you imagine what that must have been like? The atmosphere, the land, the air, the food, and the animals — the whole earth was made for them, and they were made for it. All the efforts of the Creator were made for their benefit and He actually chose to dwell there with them.
God’s desire was to provide a wonderful place for Adam and Eve. He loved them unconditionally and wanted to be with them and meet all their needs — just as He desires to be with us and meet our needs today.
Those of us who are parents want the same for our children. My wife, Teresa, and I didn’t have resources as vast as God’s, to be sure, but I still remember our efforts to create just the right place for our first son, Lee.
Our home at that time looked like any other tiny apartment in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; but to us, it really was a gift from God — and from a generous man who attended the church where I served. I was in my last year of seminary in New Orleans — a two-hour drive down the interstate — and there wasn’t a lot left in our bank account at the end of the month.
I was only days away from the final exam that would earn my master’s degree in church music, and I was about to become a father for the very first time! I hoped and prayed those two events wouldn’t happen on the same day. And God answered my prayer — but just barely!
Three days before my final exam, I became a dad. I can’t begin to describe how excited I was (and still am) to have a wonderful son like Lee. My professors were gracious, and in one week’s time I had a diploma and a new baby!
Teresa and I didn’t have much money, but we had family and friends. Together we had turned that spare bedroom into a special place for Lee. On the day he came home from the hospital, he was surrounded by much love.
That little apartment that had been God’s gift to us was a perfect fit. God had provided just what we needed to fulfill our role as new parents, just as He had provided everything we needed to fulfill our purpose in ministry. And just as with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, He chose to dwell with us there.
Created to Worship
Adam and Eve were given everything by God, including the privilege of dwelling in His presence. They had every reason to understand who God was and all He had done for them, but they turned their affections away from God and toward their own desires. They had firsthand revelation of who God was and what He had done for them, yet they chose to listen to the Enemy instead. Their improper response to God’s revelation made His presence frightening.
The man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid themselves from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Genesis 3:8
Just as God was searching for Adam on that day, so He is searching now for those who will respond to His gift of life and worship Him. Worship is the place of enthronement for God, and He will always meet us there.
The eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to show Himself strong for those whose hearts are completely His. 2 Chronicles 16:9
Adam and Eve made a choice that set the course of history in the wrong direction. They chose to respond to Satan’s lie rather than to what they knew of God. In one simple act of disobedience, they showed more reverence for Satan’s words of doubt than for God’s loving revelation and care.
Adam and Eve were made for worship, and so are we. The need to worship was inside them, just as it is inside us. We were created to respond to God’s revelation with worship, which is our show of “religious reverence and intense love or admiration” for God and God alone.
What is some evidence that the need to worship is ingrained in humans? Can you think of some examples outside of the church experience?
Whether it is at a concert, a sporting event, a Broadway play, a corporate boardroom, or a Las Vegas showroom, people will gather to worship someone or something. The deep need to respond to someone or something with our expression of appreciation and adoration is simply part of our DNA as human beings. We were created for worship!
It really isn’t hard to believe that we were created to worship something or someone, is it? The real question is what or whom are we worshiping? We can always identify what is “first and foremost” in our lives by taking a hard look at what attracts our attention the most.
Open your Bible and read the following Scriptures pertaining to God’s jealousy:
• Deuteronomy 4:24; 5:9
• Joshua 24:19
• Nahum 1:2
How do you feel about God being jealous? As the Bible tells us, God is jealous of our time and our attention, and He deserves first place in our lives. As we grow in revelation of who He is and what He alone has done in our lives, we really will experience God in worship!
LESSON 2 REVIEW
• What statement or Scripture you read in this lesson was most meaningful?
• Reword the statement or Scripture into a prayer of response.
• What does God want you to do in response to this lesson?