Knowing the God Who Is Everywhere

The God Whose Presence is Infinite

A heathen philosopher once asked, “Where is God?” The Christian answered: “Let me first ask you, where is He not?” —John Arrowsmith

He dwells throughout the know universe, and the uninhabited regions of immensity. — Timothy Dwight

God is over all things, under all things; outside all; within but not enclosed; without by not excluded; above but not raised up; below but not depressed; wholly above, presiding; wholly beneath, sustaining; wholly within, filling. —Hildebert of Lavardin

Psalm 139:7–12 ESV

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.

Jeremiah 23:23–24 ESV

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.

Acts 17:27–28 ESV

27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for “ ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “ ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

What Does This Tell Us About God?

1. God is in every place, yet He cannot be contained within any one place.

2. God is in every place at once, rising above all limitations of place in the same way that He rises above all limitations of time. He fills all places with His presence as He fills all times.

3. Terms of distance mean nothing to God. When speaking of His essential presence, nothing can be far from Him. He has never travelled.

4. All places are here to God, as all times are now.

5. God is solitary and unique in this perfection; no other being is omnipresent.

6. God’s infinite presence is essential to His nature. It comes as “naturally” to God as being human comes to us. He does not need to exert effort to extend His presence to all places at once.

Implications For Those Who Would Live With God

God is the unchanging environment of every person.

Genesis 48:15 ESV

15 And he blessed Joseph and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,

1 Kings 18:15 ESV

15 And Elijah said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.”

2 Kings 3:14 ESV

14 And Elisha said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I have regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you nor see you.

Acts 17:28 ESV

28 for “ ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “ ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

Can you think of a time in your life when the fact that God is your unaltered environment was a particular comfort to you?

The omnipresence of God—gracious antidote to every earthly sorrow! —John MacDuff

2. God is present, observing all events in all places at once.

Hosea 7:2 ESV

2 But they do not consider that I remember all their evil. Now their deeds surround them; they are before my face.

Ezekiel 9:9 ESV

9 Then he said to me, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice. For they say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see.’

Job 22:12–13 ESV

12 “Is not God high in the heavens? See the highest stars, how lofty they are! 13 But you say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the deep darkness?

Do you see that every sin, in some measure, is born out of the practical denial of God’s presence?

Revelation 20:11–15 ESV

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

3. God is present, acting in all things.

God is everywhere, governing

Romans 8:28 ESV

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

God is everywhere, providing

Psalm 104:24 ESV

24 O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.

Psalm 104:27–30 ESV

27 These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. 28 When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. 29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. 30 When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.