Sheltered by the Presence of God

"The bread symbolized the continual presence of the Spirit of God making provision and giving life to His people".

In the shelter of Your presence You hide them from the intrigues of men. Ps 31:20a (NIV) 

The power of the presence of God is unsurpassed in its divine ability to shelter the believer in Christ from the wiles of the enemy. The Psalmist David wrote these words under the influence of the Spirit of God. He had personal experience with great opposition to his righteous rule and devotion to the Lord. David often wrote of the overwhelming effect of the ‘presence’ of the Lord in his life.  It was not a theoretical or theological concept, but the reality of living a life led by the Spirit and abiding in the Kingdom of God. 

The presence of the Lord is symbolized in Exodus 25:23-30 where God gives specific instructions under the Law as to the construction and content of the table for the Bread of Presence within the Tabernacle. The Lord said in verse 30 ‘Put the bread of Presence on this table to be before Me at all times.’  The bread consisted of 12 loaves of bread equally aligned in two rows of six. Frankincense was placed along each row with the bread. The bread symbolized the continual presence of the Spirit of God making provision and giving life to His people. The oil represented the anointing of an offering made by fire before the Lord. The bread was to be eaten by the Aaronic priests for their nourishment.   

Under the new covenant we see the bread as a type of Christ, the bread of life, always present giving life to and sustaining the believer/priest. Our Lord’s prayer was for Him to ‘give us each day our daily bread’. (Luke 11:3) The oil symbolizes the continual availability of anointing as we abide and live in His presence. This manifests the power of His presence, the continual shelter from intrigues or plots of the enemy. In this day and hour we MUST live in His presence, consume His provision, and manifest the blessings of His continual anointing. David lived in a time when the enemy used men to plot destruction. We live in such a time as well. But in the place of His presence there is shelter and provision to overcome all the devices of the enemy and manifest His favor and influence into every situation. Practice His presence today.