What Is the Omnipresence of God?

Omnipresence is one of the most comforting and most convicting attributes of God. It means that God is present everywhere, not by extending Himself through space like a gas filling a room, but by being fully present at every point in creation without being contained by any of it. 'Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.' 'Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.' ThePsalmist's questions are rhetorical — there is nowhere God is not. This has profound implications. First, God is present in every moment. He is not constrained by time, watching history unfold like a movie. He is eternally present in every moment of time, knowing and governing each one. Second, God is present in every place. Jonah could not flee from God to Tarshish. Adam could not hide from God in the garden. David could not escape God's gaze in the darkness. There is no corner of the universe, no secret room, no private thought that is hidden from God. Third, God is not merely present but actively present. His presence is not passive observation but active involvement. 'In him we live, and move, and have our being.' He sustains every atom, governs every event, and directs every path. This is both terrifying and comforting. Terrifying, because we cannot hide from God. 'All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.' Every sin, every lie, every secret thought is fully known. Comforting, because we are never alone. 'I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.' When Joseph was in prison, God was with him. When Daniel was in the lions' den, God was with him. When Paul was shipwrecked, God was with him. When the martyr faces the flames, God is with him. Jesus promised, 'Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.' This promise is possible only because of God's omnipresence. The incarnation makes God's omnipresence uniquely personal. In Christ, God drew near to humanity in a way never before experienced — Immanuel, 'God with us.' The ascension did not remove Christ's presence but extended it through the Holy Spirit to every believer. 'I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth.' God's omnipresence means that prayer is always possible, help is always available, and hope is never lost, no matter how dark the circumstance or how distant the place.