The Presence of God and My Identity as a Pastor

[Chaps13]

In the wilderness the Lord visibly led his people by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. I can only imagine what that might have looked like or been like. While this image has always intrigued me, what is more powerful to me is to gain an understanding of the Lord’s presence with his people in the wilderness. Laniak states, “Israel’s identity was inextricably tied to the presence of God� (p. 79). While he goes on to speak of the Lord’s protection (p. 80), provision (p. 81) and guidance (p. 84), I took some time to consider God’s presence. Israel had the glory-cloud and the pillar of fire, as well as the ark of the covenant as visible signs of God’s presence.

As a pastor I have ministered to a number of people who have longed for a visible sign of God’s presence in their lives – sometimes in crisis and sometimes in the regular routines of life. I have wondered about God’s presence with me as a pastor and as a person from time to time as well. I have thought that it sure would be nice to have a visible sign of God’s presence in the midst of ministry. At times, I think it is easy to complete the routine tasks of ministry and to forget about God’s presence and rely on my own power and identity to accomplish the ministry.

While I do not have a glory-cloud or a pillar of fire to visibly lead me day by day, I long to know God’s presence daily in my activities and service as a pastor. I long to know that my identity is “inextricably tied to the presence of God� in my life and ministry. I do not want to be lulled into thinking that what I am doing is being completed on my own power and without the presence or power of God in my life – whether I can visibly see God or not.