I Can Because I AM - Part 3

Omnipresence and Omniscience of God


“Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening?
God doesn’t come and go. God lasts.
He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine.
He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch His breath.
And He knows everything inside and out.”
Isaiah 40:28, The Message

Now, it is a fine line that separates the boundaries between omnipresence and omniscience. Omnipresence leads to omniscience just as “being at the park” leads to “seeing the lake”. “Being” and “seeing” are not the same, but one does lead to the other and afterwards they occur simultaneously. So because of the overlaps and lines that are too fine for my poor eyes to see I will be merging the two in this chapter. I hope that it will be only a minor distraction. If the truth is being told then I am not so worried that that truth is in the wrong chapter format.

Remember why we’re covering the omnipresence and omniscience of God: In our main text, Psalm 113, God gives some pretty big promises but before He does that He first proves who He is that He can make such claims. We’ve seen that He can “raise the poor out of the dust”, but what if He doesn’t know that I am poor and need to be raised? Notice know does imply omniscience (hence that fine line raises up for the first of many times) but before we cover that we have to see how He knows.

A strong man may promise me that he will be my help when I need him. I trust him thoroughly – he is a strong man and I’ve seen him help many others. But what if he is never near me? How would he know whether I need his help or not? All of the muscle in the world will not help me if he is not first aware of my need for him.

This is what God’s omnipresence promises us: we are always under the watchful eye of God. He is constantly aware. He always sees. Nothing happens without His seeing every intricate detail.

Again, when considering the omnipresence of God we cannot think on human terns. Of what person – even the smartest and mightiest person on earth – can you say:

“Today, recognize and keep in mind
That the Lord is God in heaven above and on earth below;
There is no other.”
(Deut 4:39)

An Expensive Footrest

When David had settled in as king and finally had peace on every side he took a moment to look around and he noticed something, “Look, I am living in a cedar house while the ark of God sits inside tent curtains.”

When the children of Israel left Egypt a couple hundred years before, they were on the move. They were in the wilderness for 40 years and, because they were constantly on the move, they couldn’t build a temple for God. So they built a tent or “tabernacle”. It could easily be moved from campsite to campsite, so to speak. But after they settled in the Promised Land, when all the people stored their tents away and built good, solid houses for themselves, God was still living in a tent.

No wonder God called David a man after His own heart. He seemed to be the only one for hundreds of years who was sensitive to God’s desires. And so he decides to build a lavish temple for Him.

But, to make a long story short God says no. Not because He doesn’t want a temple – He does – and he says that David’s son Solomon can build it. But David has been a man of war since before he became king and God said, “You are not to build a house for My name because you have shed so much blood on the ground before Me.” It may sound harsh for such a noble intent, but God understands and tells David that though he can’t build a house for God, God would build a house for him. Read about that in 1 Chr. 17.

Well, David goes to Solomon, his son, and tells him the news. David had gone out of his way to collect all the materials needed. He drew out intricate, detailed and well thought-out architectural plans. He collected 3,775 tons of gold. 37,750 tons of silver. The bronze and iron couldn’t even be weighed because there was so much of it. He had collected timber, stone, stonecutters, masons and carpenters.

All this for what? This is what David tells his son, “It was in my heart to build a house as a resting place for the ark of the Lord’s covenant and as a footstool for our God.” (1 Chr 28:2)

David knew what Solomon eventually figured out:

“But who is able to build a temple for Him, since even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain Him?
(2 Chr 2:6)

Perhaps that’s why David later wrote two songs encouraging the saints to “worship at his footstool”. (Psalms 99:5 and 132:7) The temple was His footstool! He was aware of the immensity of God. This God was so big that this enormous, elaborate temple would only house His feet!

Want a little illustration of the phrase “beyond imagination”? The truth of the matter was that God was even bigger than David imagined. God Himself said to Isaiah, “Heaven is my throne and earth is my footstool!” Just when we think our minds have Him figured out … we have no idea.

Never hidden. Never in secret.

“Man may not see thee do an impious deed;
But God thy very inmost thought can read.”
- Plutarch (46 AD – 120 AD)

The bible teaches that we are always in the midst of a “great cloud of witnesses”. Spirits both evil and good are at our sides to hinder and to help. The spirits of the saints who have gone before us peer down at us and encourage us in this long, grueling race to our intended goal. And even in our own realm, we are never fully aware of the eyes that see us. When we believe we are hidden or in the darkness, we are never alone – never hidden. But with all the eyes set upon us for good or for ill, there is one pair of eyes that see far deeper:

“’Can anyone hide in secret places where I can’t see him?
Don’t I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the Lord.”
Jeremiah 23:24 (NIV)

“The eyes of the Lord are everywhere,
keeping watch on the evil and the good.”
Proverbs 15:3 (NIV)

May we never be comfortable in our sin. Charles Spurgeon said, “We are – whether we will it or not – as near to God as our soul is to our bodies. This makes dreadful work of sin; for we offend the Almighty to His face, and commit acts of treason at the very foot of his throne.” We sin to His face and at his very feet. We are never isolated and obscured from the rest of the universe. We hide in the dark solitude of our house or the lonely alleyway plotting revenge or hoping for an opportunity to sin – every step and every breath and every dark thought is being seen.

And not only in our solitude – but in a multitude We may escape to where many people are so that we can get “lost in the crowd”. Such a thing cannot happen with God. He is no man that his attentions may be divided. Even in a great hall of 10,000 people, he is as aware of each man’s thoughts as if he were the only person in the room.

Does this make you a bit uneasy? Good. We are still living in a carnal world in carnal skin with carnal people thinking carnal thoughts which lead to carnal deeds. As Spurgeon put it, “Men of God are still men.” Sin still finds its way into our daily lives and we are called on and our inner spirits deeply desire to put a halt to sin’s march toward our hearts by whatever means necessary. If that means to constantly remind ourselves of the truth of God’s all-seeing eye, then so be it. Perhaps it will turn off the constant dripping of the tap that is our bad habits. The things we do without a thought when we are all alone – though we are never alone.

Does this make you uneasy? Good. Perhaps it will magnify God in our sight a bit more. To “magnify” is to make something bigger as if looking at it through a magnifying lens. God is not fenced in by the clouds of His heaven nor is his attention diverted to one conflict or other in the world. God is beyond measure, beyond human limitations, and beyond our imaginations. An old hymn put it very nicely:

“My thoughts, scarce struggling into birth,
Great God! are known to thee:
Abroad, at home, still I'm enclosed
With thine immensity.”

Look up!

Charles Spurgeon once told a story, “A man once took his child with him while he went out to steal from a neighbour's stack, and he said to the boy, "Look about you for fear anybody should see your father." The boy had read the Scriptures, so, having looked all round, his father said, "Have you looked all ways?" He said, "No, father, there is somebody looking." "Who is it?" "Father, you have not looked up, and there is God looking down upon you." The man's conscience was pricked. Sinner, you look round you, there is no one in the chamber, you perpetrate the crime. Look up!”

Again I ask does this make you uneasy? Good. But if you are a child of God, look deep inside yourself and you will find that it also brings sweet relief, for the penetrating eyes that alone can judge our sin can also see the pain in our heart, the confusion in our mind and the trials that have weighed us down. The ears that have heard every word of gossip and complaint that have come out of our mouths have also heard every word that we have whispered to Him in prayer.

We spoke earlier about complaining vs. prayer. His ears are more attentive, His heart more compassionate, His eyes more understanding and His help is far mightier than anyone else in your circle. Bring your prayers to Him. Let us look to God in the midst of our temptation, yes. But let us also look to him in the midst of our trials. As Charles Spurgeon said, “Look up!”

The Eye of the Lord

We have seen how God’s all-seeing eye can and does see us in the dark solitude of our sinful intents, but what about the dark solitude of loneliness when we deeply desire God’s eye? And in that moment when we do feel lost in the crowd, are we really? Is it possible that God has forgotten about us like everyone else has? Is it possible that his attention is diverted elsewhere? Is it possible that we have sinned one too many times and the Lord has turned a blind eye to us?

Let me reassure you: no, it is not possible. Would you expect a man to roll in the mud of a pig pen? Would you expect a woman to bury her head in the sand as an ostrich does? Of course not, and if we don’t expect mankind to be like the animals why do we expect God to be like mankind? The distance separating God and mankind is a universe wider than the distance separating mankind and animals. Yes, we have been betrayed, forgotten, looked-over, dismissed, ignored and left behind by so many people, but please remember that God is not a man that he should lie. He has said:

“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and His ears are open to their cry.”
Psalm 34:15

You have His eyes and ears at all times. He has promised and He will do it. Every tear you’ve cried – He’s kept them in a bottle (Psalm 56:8).

Luke tells a quick little story about a woman on the side of the road who had been crippled for 18 years. And that’s pretty much all we know about her. She didn’t say anything to Jesus who happened to be passing by. We’re not even sure she even saw Him – but He saw her. “When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, ‘Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.’ Then He put His hands on her and immediately she straightened up and praised God.” (13:10)

She didn’t say a word, but He knew her need and met it.

Most of us know the story of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha. Jesus was their best friend, and one day Lazarus dies. And in this story, found in John 11, many of us heard the shortest verse in the bible while we were still children: “Jesus wept” (vs 35). Why did Jesus weep? Was it because Lazarus had died? I do think that was partly why, but Jesus had known that for four days and it didn’t mention any tears. And the truth is that Jesus knew Lazarus would die before he even got sick. But Jesus didn’t even rush to be by his side. Verse 6 says that when Jesus heard Lazarus was sick He stayed where he was for a couple days.

Was there something else that made Jesus weep? I think we have to go back two verses: “When Jesus saw her [Mary] weeping and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.”

“The Son of God in tears
The wondering angels see:
Be thou astonished, O my soul;
He shed those tears for thee.”

Isaiah put it perfectly, “In all their distress, He too was distressed.” (63:9) God is love and compassion in the flesh. Yes, His justice demands a watchful eye on our sin, but His patient mercy allows that constant eye to be on us in the midst of the valley of death. Even David doubted this wonderful truth and asked himself:

“Will the Lord reject me forever?
Will He never show His favor again?
Has His unfailing love vanished forever?
Has His promises failed for all time?
Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has He in anger withheld His compassion?
Then I thought, ‘To this I will appeal:
The years of the right-hand of the Most High.”
Psalm 77:7-10

David’s recollection of the years of the right-hand of the Most High – the wonderful works that God had done down through the ages – is brought up in the following 13 verses. It is a good habit for us to follow: when we doubt His presence, when we question whether God really is for us and not against us, when we give in to our feelings of loneliness and give up on the promise of His presence – let us stir each other up with memories of His mighty works!

David said he “meditated” on all His works and then he remembered how God redeemed Israel and led her like a flock into the Promised Land. He never left His Beloved for a moment and he never will. He has promised and He will perform it:

“Never will I leave you!
Never will I forsake you!”
Hebrews 13:5

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

Seeing the Danger, But Not the Deliverance

Under the all-seeing eye of God we stand at all times. David racked his brain in his 139th Psalm to think of a place he could go where God would not be able to see him. Heaven? Of course, God would be there. Hell? Yep, He’s there, too. What if he flew like a bird to the far side of the sea? God is there. Well, surely if he found a place dark enough, perhaps in a dungeon underground where no light had ever shown? David realized that night is as bright as day to God.

One glance of Thine, Eternal Lord,
Pierces all nature through.
Nor heav’n, nor earth, nor hell afford
A shelter from Thy view.

Though this may seem a dreadful thought to the unbeliever, to us who are being saved it is a sweet relief. Because His eyes and ears are always on us, we have a constant security in God:

“The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,
And His ears are open to their cry …
The Lord hears them and delivers them out of their troubles.”
Psalm 34:15, 17

“The Lord is near to all who call on Him
To all who call on Him in truth.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him;
He hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord watches over all who love Him.”
Psalm 145:18-20

Don’t see Him around anywhere? When you walk through the waters do you raise your arms to the sky and ask, “Where are You?” When you go through the fire is He not as visible to you as He was to Nebuchadnezzar? In the burning flames do you look around and see no one and yell to God, “Where are You?” Does the darkness in your life seem to be too dark for God’s eyes to penetrate? In the blinding darkness where you can see and feel no one by you, have you whispered, “God, where are You?”

You’re not the only one who has felt this way:

Elisha had made an enemy of the King. “’Go find out where he is,’ the king ordered, ‘so I can send men and capture him.’

The report came back, ‘He is in Dothan.’

Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. ‘Oh, my lord, what shall we do?’ the servant asked.

‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’”

The text does not say what the servant said or did but I know what I would have done. I would have looked around and saw that there was only the old man and me again the King’s countless army. I would have remembered the times when God saved the man of God, but I would have looked around anyway and said to God, “Where are you now?”

Perhaps that’s what the servant did. What we do know is that he doubted. He thought that what he saw with his eyes was the end of the story. It was the end-all be-all, so to speak. He saw the king’s army and so it was. He did not see Elisha’s army and so it was not. As Spurgeon put it, “He could see the danger, but not the deliverance.”

“Then Elisha prayed, ‘O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

That poor servant thought he knew what was going on. He thought he had it all figured out – but he forgot there is more to know than the world we see. There is a realm of spiritual things and beings that surround us at all times. And though we can’t see God with our eyes, his army is protecting us, his hand guiding us, his eyes watching us and ears listening for our cries, He has promised all of these things. He has promised never to leave us.

“Fear not – I am with you; O be not dismayed!
I, I am your God, and will still give you aid.
I’ll strengthen you, help you and cause you to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand!”

The Ear of the Lord

1 Samuel begins with the story about a woman named Hannah. She was married to a good man named Elkanah. He had another wife named Peninnah. Peninnah had many children and Hannah had none but, as in the story of Abraham and Sarah, Elkanah was very much in love with Hannah. This isn’t too surprising considering the little that we know of Peninnah. Because she had so many children she would rub it in and constantly remind Hannah that God had not given her any children. Eventually the dam bursts under the pressure and Hannah goes to the one person who can help: God. If it was God who was not giving her children, then He was the one who could give her children.

She goes to the temple and prays, but in the anguish of her heart she doesn’t even have the strength to give voice to her prayers. Her lips moved but she prayed in her heart. Eli, the priest who was nearby, saw her lips moving but nothing coming out and accused her of being drunk.

Hannah tells him, “Not so, my Lord. I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”

Eli corrects his mistake by saying, “Go in peace and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him.”

Eli was standing right next to her and he didn’t know what Hannah had asked of God, but he knew someone was even closer to her. Eli didn’t pray for Hannah to have a son and Hannah never spoke a word to God about a son. But God knew her deepest thoughts. That’s how close God is to us. Charles Spurgeon once said that God is as near to us as our soul is to our bodies. He must then know the very whisper on our lips.

“He will hear their cry and save them.”
Psalm 145:19

Unspoken

In my Sunday School classes when I was a kid the teacher would ask if we had any prayer requests and, the shy little girl that I was, I never raised my hand. But then she asked the question I had been waiting for, “Who has an unspoken request?” I haven’t heard that term in years, but I remember how eagerly I would raise my hand when she asked. Even if my request to God was to heal my dog or help me in a kickball game, I loved the feeling of having a secret that only God and I knew about.

Oh, to have that simple faith again. It was an easy thing to believe that God knew my inmost thoughts without my having to utter a word. But with growing age comes growing doubt and growing effort to try to get into the presence of God and feel that my prayer is heard.

But God is no man that I must struggle to get his attention or entertain him with fancy, intelligent conversation to keep him interested. His attention is always on us. We are the prodigal son walking home racking our brains to figure out a way to get into our father’s presence again – while He has been waiting for us to show up and runs to us when we approach.

Job said that God never takes His eyes off the righteous (36:7). The truth is that though we may feel we are the ones that hope God is there when we come to Him, it is actually God who is always waiting for even a sign to come and fellowship with us. He said that if we knock on His door He’ll open it gladly. If He sees you starting to look for Him, as two best friends would in a crowded room – you’ll find Him. All you have to do is ask – and you’ll receive. Ask Him to join you, talk with you, walk with you throughout your day – and He has promised that you’ll get what you ask. (Matthew 7:8)

“Within thy circling power I stand
On every side I find thy hand.
Awake, asleep, at home, abroad
I am surrounded still by God.”

Jehovah Shammah

I’ve lived in Tampa my whole life, but I recently heard of a city I think I’d at least like to visit. Mainly, because of the name of this city. The name conjured up images of peace as if the city was called “Rest”. It brought a feeling of protection as if it was called “The Fortress”. But it was better than even these names. The name of the city? Ezekiel will tell you:

"And the name of the city from that time on will be:
THE LORD IS THERE.”
[Or in the Hebrew: Jehovah Shammah]
Ezekiel 48:35

The name of the city was “The Lord is There.” And while I speak facetiously of wanting to visit this city, the truth is that our own homes and lives are called “Jehovah Shammah”: “Let the Lord dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16)

As are our individual churches and fellowships: “And in Him you, too, are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22)

And in this wonderful City of His Presence we need never fear of being driven out for Jesus, the King of the City has said, “All that the Father gives me will come to me and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37)

Now, remember that our King is not a man to be beset with our own limitations. Though He is King of the whole city, yet He “stoops down” as our main text in Psalm 113 says. He stoops down from his lofty heavenly throne and fellowships with us individually.

And from the very beginning of this city the Lord has fellowshipped with His people. Moses once said of God, “Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.” (Psalm 90:1)

Are you starting to get the feeling that God wants to be with His people? We’ve already seen that he has been with His people throughout all generations, but what about future generations? His plans have never changed. Very near the end of the Bible when God speaks of a future New Jerusalem He says, “Now the dwelling of God is with men and He will live with them. They will be His people and God Himself will be with them and be their God.” (Revelation 21: 3)

God seems to be very stubborn. He has had this plan since before He created Adam and Eve and walked and talked with them. He is eager to populate this city, so to speak. He is eager to welcome new citizens and the truth is, if you are a child of God, you are a citizen. Read John 6:37 again: if you are a believer then the Father has chosen you to be in His presence at all times. Remember, Job said that He never even takes His eyes off the righteous.

God is with you.

Where is God not?

Now when I say God is there or with that person, it does beg the question, “Where is he not?” For instance, we may sing at church, “Surely the Presence of the Lord is in This Place”, but isn’t He outside the church as well?

We’ve already seen that, yes, God is everywhere. His eye is on everyone - the righteous and the unrighteous. So why is it a big deal when God says that He is with you?

Think of a mother who is at the park or party or wherever with her child. She watches closely, helps when needed, has a constant eye on everything and if something happens that she doesn’t want to happen – she steps in and makes it right. But the child is busy playing with friends, laughing at games or slides and just basically living his own life.

But when they get home the mommy is the one who gets to play and talk and tickle and joke with the child. She spends time with him without sitting on the boundaries watching him do whatever he does.

This is like God. His eye is on everyone in every place, but there are places and people, particularly His house and His people, that He is more with, so to speak. I think that's why the bible says simultaneously, "The heavens cannot contain You, much less this temple I've built!", but also says, "I pray that God will dwell in your hearts.”

We as His children have his special attention. Let’s not take that for granted, but invite Him to come and talk and laugh and spend time with us and our families.

Aware of everything?

Now, we have seen that God can bring about what He promises and that he is aware of His childrens’ needs to meet. But there may be one obstacle toward believing that God will do what He has promised for you. And this deals directly with the omniscience of God: Would God give such beautiful promises to me if He knew my past? I don’t deserve to be raised from the dust. I don’t deserve the blessing of children.”

I know I have felt at times that I had to be very careful while reading God’s words because I felt that some were for me and some weren’t. Yes, God has promised mercy, but certainly not to someone who has taken it for granted as many times as I. Yes, He has promised blessings, but surely not to someone who squandered them one too many times.

This may be a good time to share one more thing about the nature of God. Not only is he infinite in power, size and knowledge … but he is infinite in time.

“Only I [God] can tell you what is going to happen even before it happens.”
Isaiah 46:10 NLT

Even before something has started, God has already declared what the end of it will be. Before Jesus had even come to earth to die for your sins, He knew you would curse Him. He told Peter straight out, “Tonight you’ll disown me three times.” And despite Peter’s loving shoo-shooing of such thoughts, what Jesus said came to pass. But we must take notice that Jesus knew Peter would deny him three years before when He called Peter to be His disciple. When He made Peter one of the three disciples He was closest with, He always knew Peter would betray him.

God is never surprised by our sin. Not only because He knows our very thoughts before we think them (Psalm 139), but also because He knows who we are and what we’re made of:

“As a father has compassion on His children,
So the Lord has compassion on those that fear Him;
For He knows how we are formed,
He remembers that we are dust.”
Psalm 103:13-14

Our God is a God of grace. What do you say then? Should we keep sinning so that we can get more and more grace? God forbid! (Rom 6:1,2) We should not live any longer in it! Fight against sin. Draw closer to God and He’ll draw closer to you. But keep in mind what Paul wrote, “My little children, I write this to you so you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” (1 John 2:1)

At the very moment you believed the lie that God’s love reached only so far towards you because of your past, this truth was begging your attention:

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?”
Romans 8:35

In other words, nothing can separate us from God’s love. He will always be true to His word, though we may not.

“If we are faithless, He will remain faithful.”
2 Timothy 2:13

When I was a kid we used to sing a simple song that became more and more complex as I got older. But I encourage you to read it with the faith of a child:

"Every promise in the Book is mine.
Every chapter, every verse, every line.
I am standing on His word divine,
Every promise in the Book is mine!"

We’re going to talk soon about the promises that God has given to us. Prepare your heart to receive it. There is no sinner so low that He cannot stoop down and lift him out of the dust. There is no heart so dirty that his blood will not cover it completely. Every promise is yours. Take it into your heart happily.

"Since therefore I can hardly bear what in myself I see
How vile, how black I must appear, most Holy God to thee!
But since my savior stands between in garments dyed in blood
‘Tis He, instead of me, who’s seen when I approach to God."