How many of us Earth-ers have wished that the Righteous Judge would make a physical appearance at one time or another? Could that have been what Israel Houghton and Micah Massey were also mulling over, as so many of us do on a particularly tough day? But rather than bemoaning the state of terrestrial affairs, Israel and Micah saw themselves in contact, in awe, and at least momentarily transported to an unblemished vision, when they exclaimed that “Your Presence Is Heaven to Me”. Perhaps that’s what three of His Apostles also experienced – that they were seeing a piece of Heaven when they saw Jesus transfigured with two other famous people (Moses and Elijah) of their heritage (see the 19th Century artwork, The Transfiguration of Christ, by Carl Bloch here). Suspend the limits that your five senses coax you to accept, and imagine what it’s like to be with Him, as you and I hope and believe we will be in that never-ending place. It’s called heaven, and as Israel and Micah remind us, His presence is here now.
These two writers don’t share explicitly what spurred their song’s lyrics and music (which were published in 2012), but any number of scriptures might have contributed to the insights of Israel and Micah regarding His presence. ‘Thy kingdom come, thy will be done…on earth as it is in heaven’, as Jesus was once teaching a group of disciples to pray (Matthew 6:10). Or how about ‘I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life’ (1 John 5:13). In both cases, believers seem to be told that His kingdom, and the eternity that comes with it, is available already. Try on these also, as they help convey something of the song lyrics’ meaning (as pointed out in one of the links below): Psalm 16:11; Exodus 33:14; Psalm 27:4; Psalm 42:1-2; Matthew 18:20. God’s presence is not some distant uncertainty, but a trustworthy promise. He answers and provides, even by giving people other mortals with whom they can share and count on His abiding presence. That’s a present-tense assurance that Isaiah and Micah realized when they wrote ‘Your Presence Is Heaven to Me’. Is…not will be, as they have us sing some 21 times in the song that they wrote. That is their main thought, that the believer should capture the moment one senses Him spiritually, and hold on to that. There is so much that comes with pondering Him and what He means. ‘Love’, ‘beauty’, and ‘worth’ (v.1) are what we can behold in Him, and He’s the bottomless ‘cup that won’t run dry’. The ‘treasure’ that He is overcomes my ‘weakness’ and ‘wrongs’, because he is ‘merciful’, the ‘Redeemer’ – the ‘Holder of my future’ (v.2). It’s not a wonder that Isaiah and Micah don’t try to enumerate more – the above are plenty for you and me to acknowledge with an Amen, as we sing repeatedly the song’s title words!
Put yourself in the shoes of Peter, James, and John as they saw Jesus in all of His glory. Look at that image up at the top of this entry for a few moments, or close your eyes if that’s more effective. When has He been real for you? When you were in dire straits, medically, financially, emotionally, or relationally? He doesn’t play favorites, but He does seem to want us to acknowledge our need and exercise some bit of faith in Him, even a mustard-seed size type of faith (Matthew 17:20, Luke 17:6). None of us measure up to His standard, and I expect to be terrified, at least initially, when I actually am before Him. Look at how his three closest disciples reacted to Him (in the picture), including in many other episodes in which He showed His power. They were petrified, and yet He embraced them, and wants us to draw near despite our insides telling us to withdraw and hide. He cannot help being divine, and thereby alarming us. But, He is also gentle (Matthew 11:29; 21:5). What I need is not to be hidden and safe from a power that I admittedly cannot comprehend, but to see my need for His cure. There’s no other way out of my problems. He made me, so I think I can trust that He knows what I need. Seek out His presence.
Read about one of the composers here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Houghton
Read about one of the composers here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micah_Massey
Watch/listen to a performance by one of the composers here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aff5lPzKQIo
Read some comments about the song’s meaning here: https://sifalyrics.com/israel-houghton-israel-new-breed-your-presence-is-heaven-lyrics
See information on the image here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Transfigurationbloch.jpg …This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer. {{PD-US}} – US work that is in the public domain in the US for an unspecified reason, but presumably because it was published in the US before 1930. The image may be found inside the article at this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus
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