23 “Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? 24 Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord – Jeremiah 23:23-24
Want to get away?
You’ve seen the commercials. Someone commits a gaffe one moment, and the next moment they are boarding a plane to remove themselves from the embarrassment that is the just desert for their blunder. But what if you want to get away, and everyplace Southwest Airlines flies those you are trying to escape from are there to greet you? Sound far-fetched? Not if you are trying to hide from God. Such was the lesson the false prophets of Jeremiah’s time had to learn. They were preaching a message of peace that did not come from God. Not only were they spreading lies, but apparently they thought God would not be aware of their message. They could not have been more wrong. Being Spirit, and not material, God is not subject to man’s limitations. Our eternal God who does not wear the manacles of time is likewise unfettered by the chains of space. Hence He reminds us, “Do I not fill heaven and earth?”
Omnipresent
The omnipresence of God implies that God is everywhere, every moment, in all of His fullness. And you thought the eternality of God was difficult to comprehend. Apparently Solomon, in all of his wisdom was able to comprehend this truth. Or so it appears. His was the privilege of building the Temple, but he knew even it could not contain God, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27). The Temple may have been spacious and ornate, but:
Thus says the Lord:
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool;
what is the house that you would build for me,
and what is the place of my rest?” – Isaiah 66:1
No Escape
Isaiah 57 tells us that God inhabits eternity. So how do we escape His presence? Adam and Eve were unable to hide from Him. Jonah was unable to flee from Him. David knew how futile such an attempt was.
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you. – Psalm 139:7-12
Never Alone
The omnipresence of God may be a truth that makes His enemies shudder as they realize there are no secret places where they can hide where God cannot see them. But what a comfort this truth can be to His children. Think of David’s comforting words in the 23rd Psalm. Whether we are beside still waters, walking through the valley of the shadow of death, or in the presence of our enemies, God is there with us. He is faithful to lead us, comfort us, and anoint us until our cups overflow. God’s omnipresence doesn’t mean that He is always obligated to manifest Himself to us, but He is there none the less. While His visage may not be visible to us, we can be certain that His eyes are upon us. As David pointed out, neither an abundance of light or complete absence of it makes any difference to God. Light is as irrelevant to God’s vision as space is to His presence.
Constant Awareness
I don’t know what you are going through today. Most people I know live with constant struggles. So much so that we often comment that everybody needs counseling. Certainly, life has its fill of difficulties. While it is tempting to board the plane to flee from our trials, it is no long-term solution. Regardless of where you board a Southwest plane, the destination is always the same: planet earth and its trials. Rather than fleeing, we need to come to grips with the reality of God’s omnipresence. We need to live our lives with a constant awareness of the reality of God’s presence every moment of our lives. Solomon’s Temple could not contain (or constrain) God and neither can the walls of your church building. He is with you in your car when you drive home from church. He is with you in the kitchen as you prepare lunch and roast your pastor. He is in your living room as you watch television. He is in your den as you pick up your book to read. He is in your office at work. He is in your classroom. He is in the gymnasium and stadium as you watch a sporting event. You cannot hide from God. Everyplace you can possibly go, He is already there. His desire is constant. Fellowship with you.
Practicing His Presence
I don’t want to make theology about us, but we need to recognize what it means to be a child of God. The attributes of God are unique and foundational to our faith. They are not derived from any other source. Many of them are incommunicable, they belong only to Him and cannot be shared with creation. For instance, you and I are not infinite, immutable, or omnipresent. But think of what it means to us that God possesses these attributes. The confidence we can have because God is eternal. The peace we can have because God will never change. The joy we can have because we are always in the presence of God. Our short time on earth needs to be spent learning about the character and attributes of God and appropriating these truths to our daily lives. Getting away from God is not an option, but “practicing” His presence is a constant opportunity.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. – Psalm 16:11