- 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 winds of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
- Even there Your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
Although the word omnipresent is never used in scripture, we use it to describe the ever-presence of God—that He is everywhere at all times. Along with omniscient to describe His knowledge of all things past, present, and future, and omnipotent to describe His power, these words help us to articulate what Scripture teaches us about God’s nature. Even the greatest minds have grappled to understand how this can be. Many conclude that our limited human understanding cannot fully grasp how one Being can be present in all places at once. But is it really so difficult to understand?
Starting in the book of Genesis, we are given example after example of God’s omnipresence. In fact, the entire Old Testament shows just how active and observant God is—not only of Israel, but of the world as a whole. We see God addressing the enemies of Israel, pagan gods and those who worship them, and the surrounding civilizations. He not only addresses people; He identifies landscapes, terrain, and regions by name.
As humans, we tend to compare other beings to ourselves. We speak of “animal instinct” and see human-like behaviors in animals. And if we’re being honest, most people imagine God as a human-like figure residing in another dimension called Heaven—even referring to Him as the “man upstairs”. But Scripture corrects these misunderstandings. John 4:24 tells us that “God is Spirit, and they that worship Him, must worship Him in Spirit, and in truth.” David illustrates the omnipresence of God perfectly in Psalm 139, painting a vivid picture of God’s all-seeing, ever-present, and ever-guiding providence.
We also know that God created all living things, and He designed them in such a way that the health and survival of all living things are interconnected. This is not limited to humans, four-footed beasts, creeping things, birds of the air, or fish in the sea. By divine design, trees provide oxygen for us to breathe and remove poisonous carbon dioxide that would kill us. Seeds are buried and die, bringing to life fruits, vegetables, and herbs that provide key nutrients we need to survive. This, in itself, is a reminder of the resurrection of Christ—life springing forth from what was dead. Even the season of spring testifies to the Gospel, when it revives what laid dormant throughout winter. Rain hydrates all the living, while the sun gives heat and light that bounces off the moon at night to guide us.
Whether witnessed in the beauty of creation among us, the awe inspiring cohesiveness of God’s
intelligent design, the “sixth sense” many call intuition, protections we can’t explain, or the recurring seasons that mirror the resurrection—God is visible everywhere and in all things.