“I am with you always.”
Do you ever feel pulled in a million different directions?
We are needed here, there, and everywhere, all at the same time, and we do our best to accommodate this inhuman behavior.
Thanks to modern technology, we can be here, see what is going on somewhere else, and feel like we are practically there. We have created transportation that will get us from one place to another as quickly as possible, closing the time gap, and giving us the illusion of being two places at once.
We try to be like God, but God is the only one who can pull off being present everywhere at the same time.
How can God be everywhere all at the same time?
The idea of God’s omnipresence is throughout the Bible, and this concept of ever-present is mind-boggling in light of our human constraints.
Proverbs 15:3 says, “The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good” (NLT). Psalm 139 tells us there is nowhere we can go to get away from Him. “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!” (Psalm 139:7, NLT)
We must accept that God’s ability to be everywhere at the same time is a heavenly truth and one which we may never fully grasp while still here on earth. Moving beyond God’s worldwide existence, another layer of complexity is added to His being ever-present. God is also fully present.
In our chaotic world of being torn between where we need to be, we are often left physically present but mentally absent. Being divided is a human characteristic, while God’s character is unified. God’s divinity allows Him to be omnipresent, and fully present with each individual all at once.
Wrapping our limited brains around a fully-present God is another mind-altering thought. God’s ability to be fully alert and attuned to us as an individual in sync with being 100% present with others at the same time is difficult to grasp. His being fully present in His ever-presence sets God apart and is representative of His unfailing love for His children.
God went to great lengths to help us understand how much He loves us and wants to be with us. His love was demonstrated when He limited Himself by coming to us in human form through His Son, the person, Jesus Christ.
“Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, “God is with us.” (Matthew 1:23, NRSVUE)
God of heaven became visibly present with us through the gift of His Son, the ultimate statement of His omnipresence being fully present. “God with us.”
God’s tangible presence on earth through His Son was a brief 33 years, but Jesus’ last words assured us His presence would truly never leave. He would be with us through any and all circumstances. “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20, NLT, bold added for emphasis).
God is always with us, even….
- If we wake up in the black of night in a panic, God is there.
- If we are sitting alone in a cold sterile exam room waiting for a diagnosis, God is there.
- If we lose our job, God is there.
- If our thoughts spiral out of control and are lost in the darkness of our minds, God is there.
- If our bank account does not match our bills, God is there.
- If our hope is weak and discouragement won’t quit knocking at the door, God is there.
- If we receive in the mail a legal document stating a relationship is no longer, God is there.
- If we receive a phone call with the news of a loved one’s untimely death, God is there.
There is nowhere we can go that God is not.
“I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night – but even in darkness, I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.” (Psalm 139:12-13, NLT).
We may pull the covers over our heads, put our hands over our ears, or harden our hearts toward God, but His presence can not be eliminated.
May we wake up and realize God is here. He never left. He never will. When we wake up to His presence, may our surroundings fade as we rest in His all-encompassing presence that is also fully present with us.
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you; I will help you I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10, NRSVUE)
Because I know, God, that you are always with me, in faith, I will…
I pray that you will sense God’s presence with you, that your soul will wake up, and see Him everywhere. As God’s presence swells in size, may your burdens shrink and settle into resting in His fully-present, ever-presence. So be it, in Jesus’ name.
Meditate: God is with me.
Reflect: Think of a time when you have felt like God was not there or His presence was difficult to sense. Ask God to show you where He was. Ask God to open your eyes more to seeing His presence. When do you feel the most close to God? Is there anything you need to do to be more open to His presence in your current situation?
Deeper: Psalm 139:7-18; Matthew 28: 18-20; Acts 17: 24-28
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(Bible References: NRSVUE – New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, NLT – New Living Translation, NIV – New International Version)
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