The Surrounding Presence of God
Psalm 139:7-10 – “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall hold me.”
The truth of God’s surrounding presence is a deep truth found in the Word of God. It tells us that God is an omnipresent God, or every-where present. He is keenly interested in this world of ours, and desires to be real to each and every individual. As the verses above tell us, there is no where that we could go to escape or get away from the presence of God. The term ‘hell’ here is the Hebrew Sheol, which is literally talking about the grave, or unseen place. He is in Heaven; He is here in time; and He is beyond the grave. In Jeremiah 23:23-24, God, through the prophet, said, “Am I a God near at hand…and not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see Him? Do I not fill heaven and earth?”
One writer said, “the Lord God created the entire universe and is so much greater than the heavens and the earth. The universe is but a small drop of dew or a tiny white wildflower.” His presence surrounds it all and is outside of it all. Another scholar said, “He fills heaven with His infinite and eternal glory, majesty, power, dominion, holiness and love. The angels of heaven stand in His presence with awe and worship and rejoicing.”
This truth should be a comfort to us as Christians. Knowing that He is everywhere means that He is able to constantly care for us and be a intimate companion to us. Psalm 145:18 says, “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.”
We may not constantly sense His presence, but He is near. And there are those times when His presence is manifested until it seems He is closer to us. He knows how to make Himself felt, if you will, until we suddenly realize that we are standing on holy ground as it were. Jesus talked about the Spirit being like the wind, not knowing from where it comes or where it goes. But when the wind blows we know it is there! As one said, “A cool breeze refreshes; a mighty wind impresses.” So, when the God, through the Holy Spirit, moves in certain ways we know He is there! We sense Him in a deeper way or manner. He may come to refresh us, or He may come in such a way that we have to stand in awe!
I like what one preacher said, “When we turn our hearts toward God to be His people, He begins to move in our hearts, like air beginning to stir. This is His inward presence. And when we begin to praise Him, He moves within us like a mighty wind, powerful in its effect, and we experience His manifest presence.”
May God help you and me to, as one man put it, “ live in a way that reflects His holy presence!”