The Omnipresence of God

(Article for publication week of 7-7-2010 AD)

"Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold Thou art there." (Psalm 139:7-8).

The Psalmist declares in our text the omnipresence of God, that is, God is everywhere present, and nowhere absent. God is present everywhere in His great universe. He is a spirit (John 4:34) so is unbounded by space. He is in heaven, and he is everywhere on earth, and according to our text His presence is known , even in hell itself.

Ever since man sinned in the Garden of Eden, we have been trying to hide from God. The presence of God is a frightening thing to a poor sinner. In Genesis 3:8 we read that Adam and Eve hid themselves from the presence of the Lord. Before they sinned, they delighted in the presence of God. But after the fall their consciences were guilty and they feared the presence of God, knowing they were now under His judgment. But Adam and Eve found out there was nowhere to hide. And there is still no place for a poor sinner to hide.

Poor sinner , you cannot get away from God! There is no place for you to hide! We read in the Book of Revelation that at the reality of the day of Judgment , sinners will cry to the rocks and mountains to fall upon them (Revelation 6:15-17). But there will be no place to hide in that awful Day.

And after God's judgment is passed upon you poor sinner, there will still be no place to hide. Our text says , that when you have made your bed in hell, God will be there. God will be your judge and executioner for eternity. For all eternity you will be in the hands of an angry God Who will punish you forever. You will never get away from Him!

But for us who are saved, the omnipresence of God is a delightful thing! God is with His people at all times, wherever they are. Our great God has promised to never leave nor forsake us. Though we walk through the valley of shadow of death, He is with us. He is with us in every dangerous situation. He is upholding and protecting the sheep of His pasture. Our God is with us!

And we look forward to eternity, for we shall spend eternity with our great God. The thing that is frightening to the unbeliever is a source of endless joy for the believer. "If I ascend up into heaven" , our Great God is there. Christians, let this be your consolation- God will never leave thee nor forsake thee, and you shall be with Him forever.