Key Idea: God is always present with hesed and holiness among his people and acting for their good per the Covenant he made with them, but their experience of his presence is shaped by their hearts’ direction, being the pleasure of allayed sorrow when toward him and discipline toward proper relationship when turned away.
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God is always present in his steadfast love and holiness among his people, acting for their good according to the Covenant he made with them. His presence is so much more than proximity. While he is near us, he is also for us. He is the lover of our souls. He acts for our good, just as he promised. He is our God, and we are his people, just as he promised.
Christians’ experience of God’s presence is shaped by the direction of their heart. We experience his presence as the joy of allayed sorrow when our hearts are toward him. We receive comfort when we look upon his face, receiving a balm that relieves our sorrow and grief.
Christians experience God’s presence as a correction when our hearts are turned away from him. His discipline is a consequence of any action that turns our faces away from God. His discipline works to train our hearts toward his heart. His discipline is not meant to harm but to help, for it brings us back into a proper relationship. It re-establishes a Gd-ward condition in our hearts, opening us to a continued relationship with him.
