Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord

“Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.” (Jer. 23:24b) When we speak of God’s omnipresence, we mean that He is present in all places at one and the same time. A Puritan named John Arrowsmith told of a heathen philosopher who once asked, “Where is God?” The Christian answered, “Let me first ask you, ‘Where is He not?’” An atheist wrote on a wall, “God is nowhere.” A child came along and changed the spacing to read, “God is now here.” We are indebted to David for a classic passage on the omnipresence of God. He wrote, “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.” (Psa. 139:7-10). When we speak of omnipresence, we must be careful not to confuse it with pantheism. The latter says that all is God. In some of its forms, men worship trees or rivers or the forces of nature. The true God controls the universe and fills the universe, but He Himself is separate from the universe and is greater than it. What practical influence should the truth of God’s omnipresence have in the life of His people? There is the solemn reminder, of course, that we cannot hide from God. He is inescapable. There is unspeakable comfort in knowing that God is always with His people. He never leaves us. We are never alone. Then there is challenge! Because He is always with us, we should walk in holiness and in separation from the world. He has promised His presence in a special way when two or three are gathered together in His Name: He is in the midst. This should inspire deep reverence and solemnity in the gatherings of the Saints.