by Pastor Peter Miguelez

"Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden"

Genesis 3:8

    God created human beings to have a loving relationship with them. The creation of the Sabbath is the first great example of that. The recently created couple wasn’t tired yet, but Sabbath was the first entire day of their lives. What a great privilege! The first sacred day of resting was spent in the presence of their loving Creator. As Ellen G. White says, “Every manifestation of creative power is an expression of infinite love.” (p.21). Thus, creation is a result of God’s love. However, God wanted something beyond a general revelation of His glory in nature. He wanted a closer relationship in which Adam and Eve could see His glory face to face. Unfortunately, sin interrupted His original plan and caused a gap between our Creator and us. Since then, God has been working incessantly to restore this relationship with His children again. 

    A good example is explicit in Exodus 25:8 when God asked Moses to build a sanctuary so that He could dwell among the Israelites. The order to make a tabernacle indicates God’s willingness to restore the broken connection with His children. The ultimate purpose of the sanctuary is a relationship between God and His chosen people. 

    This “theology of the presence” can be understood with David’s desire mentioned in Psalms 27:4, “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.” From all things he could ask for, he asked to live in the house of the Lord. David was not looking for a place where he could hide or be comfortable; in fact, he was looking for a close relationship with God.

    God wants to restore and fix the relationship with you TODAY. He wants to fill the gap that sin created between you and Him. He has been patiently waiting for your decision to accept Him in your life. Not just accept Him superficially from your mouth, but accept Him deeply in everything in your life with your heart. Do not wait until tomorrow, and let His Spirit flood your life with love and peace that surpasses all understanding.