Day 20: God Is Omnipresent, Never Absent

Scripture
“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” Psalm 139:7 ESV

“Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 23:24 ESV

Confessional Summary
Westminster calls God “immense” and “everywhere present,” meaning He is not contained by any place and not dependent on any creature (Westminster Confession of Faith 2.1).

Heidelberg puts it in pastoral language, calling providence the “almighty and everywhere present power of God,” by which He upholds and governs all things (Heidelberg Catechism 27).

The Second Helvetic Confession adds by calling God “infinite” and “immense,” and “without a body,” which denies that God is bound to space or limited to sacred sites (Second Helvetic Confession, Chapter 3).

The Reformers believed God is never contained, never absent, and never limited to buildings or moments. Wherever you are, you are before Him.

Reflection

Psalm 139 is not a calm devotional moment. It is David fighting the urge to run. “Where shall I flee” assumes you might want to because you feel guilty, afraid, or done.

Jeremiah 23 leaves no place to hide. God is not fooled by “secret places.” You can keep things hidden from people. You can keep them off your calendar and out of your public life. But you cannot do that with God.

God’s nearness will either trouble you or comfort you. If you are holding on to sin, His presence presses in. If you are near the end of yourself, His presence holds you up. God is there when you sit in the driveway and do not want to go inside. God is there when you open the laptop and dread the email. God is there when you are waiting for the test results and the room feels too quiet.

Omnipresence is meant to end the double life. One face for God and people, another face in private. God fills heaven and earth. The door you keep closed is not a door to Him. God’s omnipresence does not make corporate worship optional. He is everywhere, and He meets His people in a promised way when they gather.

Application
Today, take one thing you keep tucked away and bring it into the open before God intentionally. God is already there. Ask for mercy, then do one act of repentance today. Confess it, delete it, end it, or have the conversation.

Even when you have nothing to confess, you may still fear you are alone. You are not. Know that God is present with you right now, not because you feel it, but because it is true.

Prayer
Ever-Present Lord, You fill heaven and earth. I confess my attempts to keep parts of my life walled off. Do not let me hide from You. Be merciful and thorough. Expose what I hide, cleanse what is unclean, and teach me to live fully before You through Jesus Christ. Amen.