RESTING IN HIS PRESENCE

Isa.40:29 – 31 – He gives power to the weak,

And to those who have no might He increases strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary,

And the young men shall utterly fall,

But those who wait on the LORD

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.

There are a number of unusual things that happen that are associated with the moving of the Spirit, some of which can make some church people quite uncomfortable. What things am I referring to? Things like speaking in tongues, prophetic utterances, laughter, crying, and some sort of bodily movements like shaking or similar activities. One of these manifestations that make some church folks uncomfortable is falling under the power. The old timers used to call it being slain in the Spirit while the renewal folks would sometimes call it resting in the Spirit. I remember the first time I experienced this phenomenon I was taken totally by surprise. It was an incredible sense of peace and my body seemed to not respond to my brain. It was a beautiful moment of being filled with the joy and peace of the Lord. Here is something Matthew Henry says about this passage of resting in the Lord.

“They will have grace that is sufficient for them: they shall renew their strength as their work is renewed, as new occasions demand; they will be anointed, and their lamps supplied, with fresh oil. God will be their arm every morning. If at any time they have been defeated and weakened, they will recover and so renew their strength. The Hebrew means: “They shall change their strength,” as their work is changed — the work of action, the work of suffering; they will have strength to labor, strength to wrestle, strength to resist, strength to bear. As their days, so will their strength be.”

Often times when someone experiences this manifestation they can spend extended times laying on the floor with an extreme sense of awareness of the presence of the Lord. There is nothing in this life that can compare with these moments in the presence of the Lord. This is often a time of healing, physically and emotionally, and also a time of empowerment by the Spirit of God. This has become a consistent part of my spiritual experience over the years, not something that just happens when a guest speaker comes, but a lifestyle of waiting on the Lord and resting in His presence.