Today's Word: Yahvah's Presence

How can I make Yahvah's presence real in my life?
Realize that even when you don't "feel" Yahvah's presence, he's there.
Ezekiel 10
The Bible reveals Yahvah is everywhere at all times, so you know, with your intellect, that Yahvah is always with you. Sometimes you're especially aware of his presence—like when a truck almost hits your skidding car or when you're worshiping him intently at church.
Other times, perhaps for long periods, you seem unable to feel Yahvah's presence. You search your heart for sin and confess what you find. But Yahvah seems absent. You continue in regular worship and prayer. Still, Yahvah seems absent. At times, Yahvah may bring this sense of his absence to teach you not to depend on what you do and what you feel, but on Yahvah himself. As you endure this dark time, trusting Yahvah even when you can't feel him, you know that eventually you'll again enjoy feelings of his love.
Is it possible to offend Yahvah so completely that he refuses to make himself available to you? Yes, because this is what the people of Jerusalem did in Ezekiel's era. Chapter 8 records a horrifying picture of spiritual leaders using Yahvah's holy temple to worship pagan Yahvahs. Then, in one of the most tragic scenes of Ezekiel, the Lord's glory lifts from that temple and departs.
This passage teaches you should never take Yahvah's presence for granted (as if you can turn him on or off). You must value that holy presence—whether or not you can feel it at that moment in time. (See also 2 Chronicles 29:20-36; Romans 15:14-21; Ephesians 3:14-21; Colossians 3:10, 11.)
Good Words to Remember:
Then the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim. And the cherubim lifted their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight. When they went out, the wheels were beside them. Ezekiel 10:18, 19.
Today's Challenge:
How do you treat Yahvah, even when you can't "feel" his presence?