The presence of God is a great comfort to godly people. Here are five implications of God’s omnipresence for His people.
#1 When we are greatly tempted, God does not leave us – Romans 8:31-34, Psalm 14:5
Ephesians 6 mentions Satan’s fiery darts. The assurance we have is that not only does God give us the shield of faith to protect us from Satan’s attacks, but God also allows Satan to go only so far in his attack. God is with His people and sovereign over Satan. He’s present everywhere, even when we’re tempted.
Romans 8:31 asked, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Remember, we said the answer isn’t “nobody.” Plenty of forces are against us (Satan, demons, our own flesh, this fallen world, terrorists, bad drivers). The attacks of our enemies might slow us down, they may frustrate us, but they are not greater than our ever-present and almighty God.
Romans 8:32-34 that says,
“32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”
The Bible never says that life will be easy. But, it does promise that God’s people will prevail in the end.
- Nothing can take away our salvation.
- No sin is too awful for God to forgive.
- Not even one of God’s people will be lost in the struggle against this fallen world.
He is present on both sides of every situation and uses every scenario to conform His people to the image of His son and to display His glory. Anyone who opposes God will ultimately be put to shame. Psalm 14:5 says, “There they are in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous.”
#2 In times of great affliction, God is nearby – Isaiah 43:2, Psalms 46:1-3, 2 Timothy 4:16-17
I often read Psalm 139 when I visit people in the hospital because we need to be reminded that God is present at all times. We especially need to focus on this truth when we are sick or hurting.
“Water” in Biblical poetry often refers to danger or violence. With that in mind, consider what God said through the prophet Isaiah: Often in the Bible, the Lord is spoken of as a shelter in the storm or a sanctuary for his people in the midst of their adversaries. He is not passively present. It says He is VERY PRESENT during our times of trouble. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Again, the symbol of water shows up in the next two verses: “Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, When we are faced with trouble, God is with us. God’s omnipresence was of real help to Paul. Towards the end of Paul’s life, he was put on trial and no one showed up to defend him. The seasoned minister knew that God’s presence was enough and he penned these words to Timothy: “16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.”[2] Back in Psalm 139, David asked, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” Skipping down to verse 11 he adds this comment: 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, God is present in the light and in the dark. God is accessible to us, whether we’re in a landfill or a cathedral. It might be strange to do your devotions at the dump and there may be fewer distractions for YOU at the cathedral. But, God is equally present in both places and is always ready to meet us in our time of need. God’s omnipresence means that we can worship anywhere. God can be worshipped in a beautiful church, a school cafeteria, a rec. center conference room, a gymnasium, or a home. The worship of the Lord’s church is not defined by the building but by the sincerity and obedience of His people. We can reach out and pray to our Lord anywhere. He is just as eager to hear your prayers at the office as He is in a prayer garden. He is always present anywhere we seek Him and He is eager for you to reach out to Him in faith, anytime and anywhere. Moses was sent a difficult task; he was assigned to confront Pharaoh. The Egyptian ruler was the most powerful man in the world and he had the power to end Moses’ life on a whim. In addition, Moses was not confident in his ability as a negotiator or as a public speaker. God called him to an impossible task. There was no way that Moses was going to succeed with his own skills or in his own strength. This scenario gave the Lord an opportunity to shine. If the Hebrew people were going to be released, God needed to intervene and show His power. In response to Moses’ concern about his lack of ability, the Lord said in Exodus 4:12, “Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” God’s presence and assistance is an encouragement to his servants when they find themselves walking into an unpromising situation. What good would God’s grace and mercy be if they were at a great distance from us? What good would God’s power and strength be to us if His office was closed when we needed Him the most? God’s is present and available at every moment. David said in Psalm 16:8, “I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.” Any time of the day, we have access to God’s wisdom to guide us, His power to support us, his mercy to show compassion to us, and His goodness to relieve us. Knowing that we always have access to all-of-who-God-is, all-of-the-time is a tremendous encouragement to us as God’s people! — Mark Stafford
“When you pass through the waters (danger or violence), I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.”
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”#3 Wherever we go to seek the Lord, He is there – Psalm 139:7, 11-12
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.#4 If we are given a difficult task, God is a source of comfort – Exodus 4:12
#5 God’s presence means that we have access to all of God all the time – Psalms 16:8
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