Always There
“Where shall I go from Your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, You are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there Your hand shall lead me,
and Your right hand shall hold me.”
—Psalm 139:7-10
There is nowhere we can get away from God. He is everywhere. Theologians call this attribute of God His omnipresence. There is no place we can hide, nowhere we can go to where His eye cannot see; He is everywhere. The sweet Psalmist David understood this truth. There is no place where He could get away from God’s Spirit, no way to flee from His presence. He could cross the seas, and even go down to death itself and God would still be there. It didn’t matter where He went, God’s presence was inescapable.
Jonah knew this truth all too well. He attempted to flee from God. God had commissioned him to go to the wicked Ninevites to deliver the foreboding news of God’s coming judgment. Yet, the time was not fixed; judgment could be avoided provided the people repent, but Jonah would have none of it. They were Israel’s enemy and Jonah longed for God’s justice to be meted out. He wanted the full wrath of God to be extended to them with no mercy. Rather than deliver the news that there was an opportunity for God’s judgment to be avoided, he found the first boat out of town and tried to get as far away from Nineveh as he possibly could. But, we cannot flee from God. No matter where we go we can never get away from Him. It’s impossible because He created us, sustains the universe by His Word, and has fixed us in time and space. We cannot flee from His presence, but Jonah nevertheless tried. He boards the boat, and no sooner does it pull away from shore when the storm of storms arrives. The waves beat against the boat and the experienced hardened sailors cried out for deliverance. This was no ordinary storm and the only way it could be stayed was Jonah being thrown overboard. As soon as Jonah’s body hit the water, the storm dissipated and the waters grew calm. God provided a fish to swallow His rebellious prophet and for three days Jonah lurked in the belly of that fish. Even at the bottom of the sea, before air tanks and scuba equipment, Jonah waited in God’s submarine, until He acknowledged God as God and agreed to deliver His message of redemption to his ancient foe. The rest of the story reveals that Jonah submitted, the Ninevites repented, God relented, and then Jonah lamented. The point is that we cannot escape God’s presence. It doesn’t matter if we are on the highest mountain, the hottest desert, the lowliest valley, or even in the belly of a fish, God is there. We cannot escape Him, nor should we.
God loves us. Which is quite amazing once we realize that we are really not lovable. We are like animals that bite the very hands that feed and provide for us. We are rebellious and wicked, loving sin and hating God in our hearts, but He still chose to give His Son to die on our behalf in order that we might escape God’s wrath. When we sin, God is there. He sees us. He is with you right now, aware of your thoughts, knowing your heart.
What love that He would give His Son for us! Even when Jesus was on the cross, suffering God’s full wrath, He was there. He heard the Son of God call out for deliverance, but chose not to deliver Him because He wanted man to be able to be saved. What great love! May we trust in our all-seeing, all-knowing God, knowing that He loves us and wants to dwell not only with us, but in us by His Spirit. Amen.
Or where shall I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, You are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there Your hand shall lead me,
and Your right hand shall hold me.”
—Psalm 139:7-10
There is nowhere we can get away from God. He is everywhere. Theologians call this attribute of God His omnipresence. There is no place we can hide, nowhere we can go to where His eye cannot see; He is everywhere. The sweet Psalmist David understood this truth. There is no place where He could get away from God’s Spirit, no way to flee from His presence. He could cross the seas, and even go down to death itself and God would still be there. It didn’t matter where He went, God’s presence was inescapable.
Jonah knew this truth all too well. He attempted to flee from God. God had commissioned him to go to the wicked Ninevites to deliver the foreboding news of God’s coming judgment. Yet, the time was not fixed; judgment could be avoided provided the people repent, but Jonah would have none of it. They were Israel’s enemy and Jonah longed for God’s justice to be meted out. He wanted the full wrath of God to be extended to them with no mercy. Rather than deliver the news that there was an opportunity for God’s judgment to be avoided, he found the first boat out of town and tried to get as far away from Nineveh as he possibly could. But, we cannot flee from God. No matter where we go we can never get away from Him. It’s impossible because He created us, sustains the universe by His Word, and has fixed us in time and space. We cannot flee from His presence, but Jonah nevertheless tried. He boards the boat, and no sooner does it pull away from shore when the storm of storms arrives. The waves beat against the boat and the experienced hardened sailors cried out for deliverance. This was no ordinary storm and the only way it could be stayed was Jonah being thrown overboard. As soon as Jonah’s body hit the water, the storm dissipated and the waters grew calm. God provided a fish to swallow His rebellious prophet and for three days Jonah lurked in the belly of that fish. Even at the bottom of the sea, before air tanks and scuba equipment, Jonah waited in God’s submarine, until He acknowledged God as God and agreed to deliver His message of redemption to his ancient foe. The rest of the story reveals that Jonah submitted, the Ninevites repented, God relented, and then Jonah lamented. The point is that we cannot escape God’s presence. It doesn’t matter if we are on the highest mountain, the hottest desert, the lowliest valley, or even in the belly of a fish, God is there. We cannot escape Him, nor should we.
God loves us. Which is quite amazing once we realize that we are really not lovable. We are like animals that bite the very hands that feed and provide for us. We are rebellious and wicked, loving sin and hating God in our hearts, but He still chose to give His Son to die on our behalf in order that we might escape God’s wrath. When we sin, God is there. He sees us. He is with you right now, aware of your thoughts, knowing your heart.
What love that He would give His Son for us! Even when Jesus was on the cross, suffering God’s full wrath, He was there. He heard the Son of God call out for deliverance, but chose not to deliver Him because He wanted man to be able to be saved. What great love! May we trust in our all-seeing, all-knowing God, knowing that He loves us and wants to dwell not only with us, but in us by His Spirit. Amen.
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