God is Ever-Present

MAIN TEXT: PSALM 139:7-12

HIGHLIGHT VERSE: PSALM 139:7
“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (NIV)

TOPIC POINTS:

1. God’s Spirit is God’s Presence – Psalm 139:7
2. God in Heaven and in Sheol – Psalm 139:8
3. God in the Seasons, in the Waters, and in the Darkness – Psalm 139:9-12

INTRODUCTION:

God is ever-present in that he is in attendance throughout HIs creation. Since God is indivisible, all of God is present in creation and yet transcends creation. His existence is not limited in space and time, we call this the omnipresence of God.

God rules over every sphere of creation, there is nowhere we can go that is outside His presence. As we cannot see air yet it is constantly all around us, even more so is God constantly present with us though we don’t physically see Him.

GOD’S SPIRIT IS GOD’S PRESENCE

– PSALM 139:7, ACTS 17:24-28

As our Lord says, “God is spirit and those who will worship Him will do so in spirit and truth.” Spirits do not have a physical body and can be at a place without being seen. Other spirits, like angels and demons, have boundaries. Although they are spirit beings, they are not omnipresent.

God’s Spirit made the universe and is the only spirit that transcends it, therefore He has full awareness and presence in all of it.

GOD IN HEAVEN AND IN SHEOL

– PSALM 139:8, JEREMIAH 23:23-24

The word “heaven” is used in Scripture to refer to the sky directly above us, the void of space, and the heaven of heavens where God’s throne is. Sheol is also depicted as the unseen world where the dead go. Other words used are “grave”, “hell”, and “pit.”

God is very present in the highest heavens and the lowest depths, even the grave is not far from His presence.

GOD IN THE SEASONS, IN THE WATERS, AND IN THE DARKNESS

– PSALM 139:9-10

Since God is present everywhere, there is no distance or direction to get away from His presence. Even if we travel to the north, south, east or west, HIs presence is there with us. Time and season limit us from seeing some of our friends and relatives but God is not limited in that way.

As the Scriptures say, “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.” Yet, we cannot hide from His light by running into darkness. Although there is no darkness present in God, God is fully present in darkness. (Exodus 20:21, Psalm 97:2)

How come we sing, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me?” How did God get there? Was He walking through it just like us? Wasn’t He already filling the whole place before we found ourselves there?

CONCLUSION:

God is the God of heaven and earth, of seasons, Sheol, darkness and light. He is completely present in every nook and cranny of His creation, unrestricted by time or space, fully present yet distinct from creation.

This is a great comfort to all God’s people. Wherever we find ourselves, on the highest brightest mountain to the deepest darkest valley, He is already there with us, fully present.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

• Recite our highlight verse
• What does it mean to say that God is omnipresent?
• Is Satan omnipresent?
• If God is spirit and ever-present, how come other spirits are not omnipresent?
• Where can we go to hide from God?
• List all the seemingly odd places you thought God was not present in?
• Is God in everything (pantheism/panentheism)?