The Chamber of His Presence

"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings" - Philippians 3:10

In the midst of our busy religious activities and earnest service, a gentle invitation echoes through the chambers of our heart. It is the same call that has drawn saints through the ages—not merely to serve God, but to know Him intimately. This knowing transcends mere intellectual understanding or dutiful observance. It beckons us into the very chamber of His presence, where transformation occurs not through our striving, but through the quiet power of fellowship with Him.

Consider the temple of old, with its progression from outer court to holy place to most holy place. How many of us remain content in the outer court of religious activity, never pressing further into the intimate chambers where God awaits? We busy ourselves with service, with programs, with the machinery of religious life, while He calls us to something deeper. "Come ye after me," Jesus says, promising not immediate action but a process: "I will make you to become."

"And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become..." Mark 1:17

This becoming occurs in the secret chamber of His presence. Here, in this hallowed space, we learn a different kind of guidance. No longer are we driven by the bit and bridle of external circumstance, but we begin to experience what the Psalmist described: "I will guide thee with mine eye" (Psalm 32:8). Such guidance requires proximity. One cannot be guided by another's eye from a distance. This speaks of the intimate fellowship that comes only through patient waiting in His presence.

“This becoming occurs in the secret chamber of His presence.”

The challenge we face is not one of more dedicated service or increased activity. Rather, we must learn to turn aside from the clamor of religious busyness to enter the quiet chamber where He awaits. This requires a fundamental shift in our understanding of spiritual life. We must grasp that time spent seemingly "doing nothing" in His presence accomplishes more than hours of frenetic activity without it.

Consider how different this is from our natural inclination. We want to run before we can walk, to serve before we truly know the One we serve. Yet Jesus' invitation remains consistent: "Come ye after me." Note the order—first the coming, then the becoming. The disciples struggled with this sequence, ever eager to establish visible kingdoms and secure prominent positions. How often do we share their impatience, wanting to skip the preparation of intimate fellowship for the excitement of visible ministry?

In the inner chamber, we learn to discern His heart for each moment. As one servant of God noted, "It's all I can do just to touch the heart of the Lord for his desire for this morning." This statement reveals the profound simplicity of true spiritual life. Instead of mapping out grand schemes for future service, we learn to discern and respond to His heart in the present moment. This is the essence of walking by the Spirit—not grand strategies but moment-by-moment fellowship and obedience.

The transformation that occurs in His presence is often imperceptible in the moment, yet profound in its cumulative effect. Like Moses, who was unaware that his face shone after time spent with God, we find ourselves changed not through conscious effort but through fellowship. This is the true meaning of preparation—not acquiring more knowledge or skills, but being transformed through intimate communion with Him.

Dear reader, where do you find yourself today? Are you wearing yourself out in the outer courts of religious activity? Do you find yourself guided more by external pressures than by His eye? The invitation stands: there is a chamber of intimate fellowship awaiting you. The path there is not marked by increased activity but by learning to turn aside, to wait, to listen, and to know.

Let us pray:

Our Father, we confess how easily we become entangled in religious activity while missing the sweetness of Your presence. Teach us the way into Your chamber. Grant us grace to turn aside from the clamor of service to find that quiet place of communion with You. May we learn to be guided not by circumstance but by Your eye, growing ever more sensitive to Your heart's desires. Transform us not through our striving but through the quiet power of fellowship with You. Give us patience in preparation, knowing that becoming precedes doing. In Jesus' name, Amen.

"And we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." - 2 Corinthians 3:18