Saturated | Learning to Live in His Presence

What if the Presence of God was never meant to be something you visit occasionally… but Someone you walk with continually?

Episode Summary

In Episode 7 of Wilder Whispers, we explore what it means to live saturated in the Presence of God.

After a simple moment of thanksgiving in a public restaurant, Shā reflects on the reality that God’s Presence is not confined to church services, prayer closets, or “spiritual moments.” Through Jesus Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit, God now dwells within His people—and invites us into a life of continual fellowship with Him.

From the Garden of Eden to Moses, the tabernacle, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, Scripture reveals one consistent truth: God has always desired to dwell with His people.

This episode explores:

• abiding in Christ through John 15
• the difference between observing God and truly drawing near
• why abiding requires obedience and surrender
• how His Presence transforms us
• and how saturated believers become rivers of living water in dry places

Because God never intended His Presence to stop with us.

Scripture References

• Psalm 100:4
• Genesis 3
• Exodus 19–20
• Exodus 33:11
• John 15
• John 7:38
• 1 John 3:6
• Ezekiel 47
• Hebrews 4:16
• Revelation 21:3

Listen closely:

When we remain in His Presence long enough, what fills us begins flowing through us.

Thanks for spending this time with me on Wilder Whispers.

Whispers are the language of closeness. They invite us to slow down, lean in, and listen.

If this episode encouraged you, consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who might need a quiet reminder that God sees them and cares deeply.

Until next time--keep listening

This is Wilder Whispers. I'm Shā Wooden.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:07

Hey friend, welcome to Wilder Whispers, a space where we slow down and listen for God's voice in the ordinary moments of life. I'm Shay Wooden, and I'm so glad you're here. We often expect God to speak through big moments, a sermon, a breakthrough, a perfectly quiet prayer time, and he does, but so often he chooses quieter ways, in the middle of everyday life, in the unnoticed moments, in gentle whispers that invite us closer. Each episode, I'll share one simple story and the quiet truth God revealed through it. Not because it was extraordinary, but because he was present. So wherever you are right now, take a breath, let's slow down, and listen together. Last episode, we talked about what it means to yield to the potter's hands, to surrender what we want, and trust God enough to let him shape what needs to change in us. But God doesn't shape us just to empty us of what doesn't belong. He shapes us so he can fill us with himself. Because the Christian life isn't just about what God removes from us, it's also about what he pours into us. His love, his peace, his joy, his spirit. And the secret place was never meant to remain a place we visit occasionally. God desires his presence to become part of our daily living. And that's what today's episode is about. Last week I was sitting in a restaurant getting ready to eat breakfast, and as I bowed my head to give thanks, I became aware of the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit. And what struck me about that moment was where I was. Not in church, not in some quiet place set aside for prayer. I was sitting in a public restaurant surrounded by people, simply whispering thanks to God for the food in front of me and for the ability and privilege to travel on vacation. Just an ordinary moment, but he met me there. And honestly, as I reflected on it later, I was reminded of the psalm that says, Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. There's something about thanksgiving and praise that awakens an awareness of his presence. Not because God was absent before, but because gratitude turns our attention toward him. And it reminded me how easy it is to unintentionally limit the presence of God to certain places or certain moments that we label spiritual. Prayer time, church services, worship nights. And those moments matter deeply. But fellowship with God was never meant to be confined to moments like that alone. The secret place of his presence becomes the atmosphere we live in. Not because every moment feels dramatic or emotional, but because his presence is no longer something distant from us. Through Jesus and the indwelling Holy Spirit, his presence now dwells within us. And in that moment there was a sweet awareness that he was there with me and that he delighted in my gratitude and in my simply acknowledging him right where I was. Not surprise, just the familiar nearness of someone I've come to walk with. And I was reminded again that his presence is not something reserved for certain moments. It's the nearness of a God who walks with us daily. And honestly, that has always been his heart. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool of the day. There was no separation, no shame, no distance. We were created to live in communion with God's presence. Then sin entered the world, and fellowship was broken. But even after sin, God continued pursuing his people. We see it with Enoch, who walked with God. We see it with Moses, who spoke with God face to face as a man speaks with his friend. And when God brought Israel out of Egypt, he instructed them to build the tabernacle so his presence could dwell among them. That's important. God didn't just give them commandments, he gave them his presence, and all of it was pointing forward to Jesus. Because in the New Testament, God didn't simply dwell in a tent or behind a veil, he came near in flesh. Jesus became the once and for all sacrifice for sin, so fellowship could be restored fully and permanently. And when Jesus ascended, he sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. That changes everything. Under the old covenant, people went to the tabernacle to encounter his presence. Now, through the Holy Spirit, the presence of God dwells within the believer. We are now the temple of the Holy Spirit. In one day, Revelation tells us that the dwelling place of God will again be fully with man. So when you step back and look at the whole story of Scripture, one truth becomes clear. From Genesis to Revelation, God has desired to dwell with his people. And honestly, I don't know that I will ever fully wrap my mind around that. That the creator of the universe, the holy God, the almighty God, he desires fellowship with us. Not because he needs us, but because he loves us. Hebrews tells us we can now come boldly before the throne of grace, not hiding, not standing at a distance, not waiting outside the veil, but welcomed into his presence through Jesus Christ. And that's what abiding really is. Not merely believing God exists, not visiting him occasionally, but living in ongoing fellowship with the one who has always desired to dwell with his people. And that was the difference between Moses and Israel. When God descended on Mount Sinai, Exodus says the people stood afar off while Moses drew near into the thick darkness where God was. That distinction matters. Because this isn't about God having favorites, it's about response. It's about hunger and intimacy. God invited the entire nation near, but most of them were content to remain at a distance while Moses pressed in. And the difference between Moses and Israel wasn't perfection, it was relationship. Moses talked with God. Moses walked with God. Moses trusted God enough to draw near even when his presence was overwhelming. And because Moses continually remained in God's presence, he began reflecting the glory of the one he spent time with. Jesus tells his disciple in John 15, Abide in me, remain in me, stay connected to me. And he repeats it over and over because Jesus understood something we often forget. Apart from him we can't bear fruit, sustain spiritual life, or become who we were created to be. Because abiding in Christ isn't optional for the believer. It is the Christian life. And that abiding isn't passive, it changes the way we live. Modern Christianity often treats abiding like emotional closeness or spiritual comfort, but Jesus ties abiding to obedience, fruitfulness, and remaining connected to him. In other words, abiding is reciprocal. He abides in us, and we intentionally remain in him. We yield ourselves to his influence, his authority, his word, and his spirit. Because we can't live outside of his authority and expect to enjoy the fullness of his presence. And this is where we have to be careful not to redefine abiding into something casual or comfortable. Because Scripture is very clear that abiding in Christ changes the way we live. First John says, no one who abides in him keeps on sinning. That doesn't mean believers never struggle. It doesn't mean we never fail. But it does mean we can't continue walking in habitual sin while claiming we're abiding in his presence. Abiding pulls us out of darkness and teaches us to walk in his light. You can't continually walk with Jesus and remain comfortable with the very things he died to free you from. And that's not because God is trying to keep us from life, it's because his presence leads us into life. Because abiding is not just proximity to God, it's the life of Christ flowing through us as we remain connected to Him. Jesus said in John seven, Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water, not a trickle, not occasional drops, but rivers. And when Jesus said that, he was speaking about the Holy Spirit. Then you go back to Ezekiel forty seven, and the prophet sees water flowing out from the temple. And wherever the river goes, life begins to appear. Dead things live again, dry places are restored, fruit begins to grow, healing begins to flow. And the picture is powerful because now through the Holy Spirit we are the temple. Which means when the presence of God fills the temple, the river begins to flow from the temple. And that's what happens when we truly abide in His presence. We become saturated with Him. His love and joy and peace begin to flow out of us. The fruit of the Spirit begins growing in us, and the life of the Spirit begins flowing through us. And just like the river in Ezekiel 47 brought life everywhere it flowed, people who are saturated with the presence of God begin carrying his life into the places around them. Because God never intended his presence to stop with us. He fills us so his life can flow through us. And honestly, this is where a lot of believers stay spiritually dry, because they're trying to pour out what they have never allowed him to pour into them. We can't pour out what we are not continually receiving. But when we remain in his presence, something begins to happen in us. His fullness fills empty places, and eventually what he pours into us begins overflowing out of us into the world around us. Because saturated people become flowing people. The issue isn't whether God is present, the issue is whether I am aware, yielded, and responsive to the one who is present. Because it's impossible to live surrounded by his presence and still remain distracted, hurried, disconnected, and spiritually dry. And the more we remain in him, the more his presence fills every part of our lives. His peace steadies us, his word renews us, his love changes the way we respond to people, and his spirit fills us until what he pours into us begins flowing out of us. We are meant to become carriers of his presence in a dry and weary world. Maybe the invitation today isn't just to meet with God occasionally, but to walk with him continually. Maybe it's to stop compartmentalizing God, to stop treating his presence like a moment we occasionally experience instead of a relationship we continually live in. Jesus is not looking for visitation, he desires habitation. He invites us to remain in him long enough for his life to saturate every part of ours, long enough for his peace to interrupt our anxiety, for his word to reshape our thinking, for his joy to strengthen us, for his love to overflow through us into the lives of others. Let's pray. Father, teach us how to abide, not just to visit your presence, but to remain there. Awaken us to the reality that you are near, in the busy moments, in the quiet moments, in the unseen moments of everyday life. Slow our hurried hearts. Quiet the distractions that keep us unaware of you. Teach us to live yielded and responsive to your spirit. Fill us with your peace, fill us with your love, fill us with your joy. Fill us with your spirit until your life begins flowing through us naturally. And Father, let the river flow. Let your presence flow from us into our homes, our workplaces, our conversations, and every life we touch. Make us carriers of your presence in a dry and thirsty world. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. The presence of God was never meant to be something we experience occasionally. He invites us to abide, to remain in Him long enough for His peace to steady us, His love to fill us, and His Spirit to saturate every part of our lives, until eventually the river that once refreshed us begins refreshing others. Because saturated people become rivers in dry places. Today's whisper to carry with you is this: don't just seek moments in his presence. Remain there long enough for his life to flow through yours until dry places begin living again. Thanks for spending this time with me on Wilder Whispers. I hope today's story reminded you that God is closer than we often realize and that he's still speaking, even in the ordinary moments of life. Whispers are the language of closeness. They invite us to lean in. Stay attentive. God is not far away. He's not silent. He's near and he's speaking. Until next time, keep listening. This is Wilder Whispers, and I'm Shea Wood.