“Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me” (Psalm 139:7–10; all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible).

“‘Am I a God who is near,’ declares the LORD, ‘And not a God far off? Can a man hide himself in hiding places so I do not see him?’ declares the LORD. ‘Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?’ declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:23–24).

In the next few posts, I would like to look at the last of God’s “omni” attributes. God is omnipresent—always present—just as He is also omnipotent (all-powerful) and omniscient (all-knowing).

The Bible usually mentions God’s omnipresence in the context of His relationship with His people. It is intricately tied to His nature as the Creator of all things, but His Word usually mentions it when He speaks to His people.

Psalm 139, which we also quoted in our discussion of God’s omniscience, speaks also of His presence everywhere. There is no place where we can escape from God’s presence. Of course, He is in heaven. The Psalmist tells us that God is also in Sheol, the grave or, as some translations put it, hell. You cannot go so high or so low that God is not there with you.

You cannot flee across the ocean to escape from God. Many of Israel’s neighbors believed their gods were tied to a particular location. Thus, YHWH—the Lord, the God of Israel—would supposedly be limited to the land where His people dwelt. He would be especially connected to His temple in Jerusalem. As the prophet Jonah discovered, God was not bound by location: If he tried to escape, God would follow him across the Mediterranean Sea, then into the sea, and into the belly of a whale, before leading him to the pagan land of Assyria. God was everywhere; there was no way to escape. That is still the case today.

We can always trust God to fulfill His promises because He is always present. He never changes. He will not go back on His Word, and He will always be available to do what He said He would.

We may be tempted to lose sight of God’s promises during difficult times. Many are becoming discouraged or distracted. All we hear about on the news these days is covid-19. One would think that this virus is omnipotent and omnipresent, but it is not. God is all-powerful. God is everywhere. The virus may be in many places, but it does not have the whole world in its hands, and it can and will be defeated.

Do you think you have wandered too far from God’s will? You cannot wander too far from His presence.

Does God seem distant when the world’s crises surround you? He is with you in whatever storm, flood, or valley you find yourself in.

God is with you. Reach out to Him. Trust that He is with you. Jesus said, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). You are not alone. God is always present.

How has the assurance that God is always present helped you in your life? Share your thoughts by clicking the “Leave a comment” link below and sharing your ideas or experiences.

Copyright © 2020 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.

[If you do not have a place to worship, you may visit Cathedral Church of the Intercessor at http://live.intercessorchurch.com; services stream at 9:30 and 11:30 AM on Sundays, 12:00 noon on weekdays, and 6:00 PM Saturday evening (all times ET).]