The Omnipresence of God

“I can’t be in two places at once.”

There are seasons in our lives when we wish we could. As life gets more complex, it would help if we could clone ourselves and not only be in two places at once, but take care of two tasks at once.

As career and family responsibilities mount, we feel the weight of those bearing down on us. Our minds (then our bodies) can scramble like mad from one task to another. The longer a season like that goes, the harder it is to stop and remember this self-evident truth: we cannot be in two places at once.

And we are far worse at multitasking with effectiveness than we think!

This is where faith must kick in – faith in the truth that God is not only in two places at once…He is everywhere at once.

David says in Psalm 139:7-10 that there is no place where God’s presence (v. 7) is not there. Whether that’s in the sky or the grave, or whether that’s in “the wings of the dawn” (the east) or “the remotest part of the sea” (referring to the Mediterranean – the west).

“Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me” (v. 10).

Now, this can be scary. But only if you don’t know God, if He is not your Father who loves you as His child. If He is your Judge, then His being everywhere is a threat because He sees everything you’re doing, and He knows everything you’re thinking.

But to those who know and love God, His omnipresence is a wonderfully comforting truth. It means that no matter what hard place I’m in, He is there with me. No matter how sideways life gets, God is there, leading me and keeping me together. He is near (Phil 4:8). Jesus says He is with His church always to the end of the age (Matt 28:20). And His Holy Spirit indwells us.

God multitasks beyond our wildest imagination. And He does it perfectly over the whole universe. But He also does it for each one of us, intimately, in every relationship, activity, or conversation.

May that encourage your heart, especially as you go through hard times. The Lord is our Shepherd, and as we go through valleys of the shadow of death, He is with us, for us, and in us, working out all things for His glory and for our highest good and deepest joy in Him.