The Omnipresence of God

I had never really esteemed Grover to be a theologian, but this classic sketch from Sesame Street reminds me of how we perceive the presence of God. Sometimes he is near and sometimes he is far. Truth be known, the average Christ follower would consider God to be far more often than near. Our struggle in identifying the presence of God is compounded by the way we use language. For example, we talk about God on his throne, being filled with the Spirit, and Jesus living in our hearts.

There are no adequate illustrations for God and his attributes. But we can benefit from helpful analogies. For instance, I went to my daughter’s soccer game on Saturday. It was sunny and windy. As I watched the game, I was constantly aware of the presence of air through the wind. Generally I don’t spend a lot of time contemplating air. I know it’s continually there, but unless the air is moving I don’t think much about it. Just because I don’t feel the presence of air doesn’t mean it isn’t present at all times. We cannot go where God is not. God is totally above us, presiding. God is totally beneath us, sustaining. God is totally within us, filling. God is always present with all he is. He cannot be contained or confined.

David marveled at the infinite presence of God in the world. Even more, he was amazed at God’s presence in his life. David expressed his thoughts through poetry in Psalm 139:7-12. In that paragraph David affirmed the presence of God in the midst of three of our most fearful moments: death, distance, and darkness. Those three things in some way relate to the fears that grip our lives. In each of those moments, God is near.

Consider the following listing of Scriptures that affirm God’s presence in our lives. Whether it be a time of crisis or a time of discouragement, God is near. When we suffer, when we’re tempted, or when we wrestle with uncertainty and insecurity, God is near. The Bible affirms that God is present. He is near whether we recognize his presence or not.

Deuteronomy 31:6
Hebrews 13:5
Isaiah 42:1-3
Psalm 34:18
Psalm 22:1-2
Matthew 28:20