Thank you for listening once again, the Cultivating Growth Podcast. This month we've been spending some time and talking about God specifically attributes of God and kind of answering the question of who is God, and we've been answering it by kind of covering some of those big omni words when it comes to his attributes.

Such as what we've already talked about, the fact that God is all knowing and he is all powerful. And today we're gonna talk about, uh, the attribute of God that he is. All present. He is all present or omnipresent. It's maybe the one that we spend the least amount of time kind of talking about, but it is no less, uh, important and, and no less comforting when we, uh, when we come to that realization and that truth.

So I'm looking forward to this conversation, so let's get to it.

When we talk about God being ever. Present or always present. I think in a lot of ways it's also difficult for us to wrap our brains around that the same way it is to consider his all powerful nature and the fact that he is all knowing. We've talked already about how difficult it is for us to really comprehend that, and this one is no different.

In that regard. Uh, but I think you mentioned it even in your intro, that, that this one sometimes gets a little bit overlooked. And I think maybe that's because we sometimes take it for granted. You know, we, we know that we can pray to God at any time and any way, and he will hear us. We speak of God being present in our lives and working in the world.

And so I think we sometimes just take for granted the fact that he is. Everywhere at all times. And, and so we, we don't necessarily just sit down and contemplate what that means and what that really looks like in our lives, although we see, as we did with the other two, uh, attributes that we've already covered this month, we see the biblical authors.

Spending quite a bit of time kind of wrestling with that and talking about that and really exploring how that impacts their lives, both in the old and New Testament. We see them recognizing that. And similar to our previous two discussions, what the biblical authors realize is that there is comfort to be found.

In contemplating God's omnipresence, there is a great deal of comfort that they experience when they write about God being there for them and always being present. And so I think it too should be for us that we, we want to find comfort. When we talk about a topic like this, you know, this topic like the others that we've made mention of, I Is, is one of those things again, that is.

It, it's impossible for us to fully comprehend because we are limited by our own human kind of capabilities and thinking because we don't have any comparison to, you know, and so we've made reference to, you know, the fact that, you know, God's power is not limited and that's hard for us to digest sometimes because even the most powerful people that we know or, or that are around.

They have, there's a limit to the, you know, the power that they have, or even the smartest people that we know. There's a limit to what their p, you know, their knowledge is. And so to begin to talk about, you know, that there is no limit to God's power. There's no limit to his knowledge, or there is no limit to his presence.

You know, maybe that's even more difficult for us to comprehend. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. E everything that we know is, you know, kind of in the three dimensions that we kind of operate in and. When we begin to think about God and the fact that he is. Everywhere at all times. It, it, it's, it's tough for us to grab hold of.

I mean, we can read passages and we did in talking about God's power, especially in Isaiah about, you know, how big he is and that he is big and powerful and, you know, I. It, it's not the picture of that, you know, God is so big. He is everywhere, and so we all have a little piece of God, like I, I'm in and around his kneecap and you know, you're in and around his elbow because he is just so big, you know that that's not the idea.

The idea is that he is ever present in all places and so he, he is all present. With me where I am and he is all present with you where you are. And yeah, that's difficult to, for us to mm-hmm. Fully grasp hold of. But to your point, the comfort that that then brings a as exemplified certainly by biblical characters and passages, uh, it really can't be overstated.

You know, one of those passages. Is actually God himself speaking to this attribute of his. In Jeremiah chapter 23, God speaks to Jeremiah as he's talking about, uh, his presence among his people. And he'll say this beginning in verse number 23 of that chapter, am I a God near at hand, says the Lord and not a God, A far off?

Can anyone hide himself in secret places so I shall not see him, says the Lord, do I not fill heaven and earth? Says the Lord. And so even God acknowledges to the people, you, you can't hide yourself from me. I'm not, I'm not a God. You can run away from I, I'm everywhere that you're going to go. We see that play out in the life then of someone like Jonah who tries to run from God and of course is unsuccessful in doing so, because God is everywhere.

You can't run away from God. God is where Jonah is at the time he calls him. God is with Jonah when he's on the boat. God is there with Jonah when he's in the belly of the fish and the depths of the sea. You can't escape God's presence and, and God tries to help us understand that. But I think all of us experience those times where we try to, we try to hide ourselves from God in some way because we're ashamed of something that we've done or maybe because of something we've done.

We feel separated from God. We feel as if he's not close to us any longer when the reality is, is we can't escape his presence because it is everywhere it, as he says here, it fills heaven and earth. Yeah, I mean, we, we talked about this a little bit when it came to God's knowledge and we use Psalm 1 39 and I mm-hmm.

I'm gonna read the passage from there again here in a moment, because, you know, David will make reference certainly to God's knowledge, but also to God's ever presence in that same Psalm. But we made the point that, you know, it, it may be easy for people to be thinking about the fact that if God has all knowledge of me, well, that, that's frightening because I, I make mistakes and I do.

Poor things, and, and sometimes we get so wrapped up into that side of it, we miss the, the comfort that really the psalmist is given to us in Psalm 1 39. The exact same thing to your point is, is about the presence of God. I, I listen. There's a reality that God, if I'm gonna make a mistake and I do something wrong, God sees that, and there's no sense to hide that from him.

He, he is there. He witnesses all of those things. And, uh, you know, it, it, it is the truth that, you know, as a parent, you know, I've, you know, I've laid on my teenage kids when they were about to go out somewhere. You know, that, you know, reminders that are walking out the door, that, listen, God is, God is with you.

Mm-hmm. He is there watching. Mm-hmm. And so there is a side that we need to be aware of that, but we can't lose sight of the comfort. Mm-hmm. That for God's people that comes from that. And so I made reference to Psalm 1 39. Certainly the beginning of that psalm, especially verses one through six really point, you know, to God's knowledge base.

But then he'll go on in verse seven, where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence if I send to heaven? You are. There if I make my bed and she behold 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.

Your right hand shall hold me. And that certainly reminds me of Jonah. I mean, that's a great example, you know, in Jonah chapter two when he's in the belly of the fish and he cries out to God, and guess what? God is there in the belly of the fish with him. And he is, he's fully there. Mm-hmm. In the belly.

And, uh, it, it was a great comfort, certainly to Jonah. As it is to David here in Psalm 1 39, to come to that understanding that no matter where I am, darkness, light, alone feeling. It's, that's not the reality because ultimately God is always there. Yeah, I was, I was thinking about just a very physical example of this.

You know, I, I have a wonderful relationship with my dad and even as a 40-year-old man, it is comforting to me to know. That if I need to talk to my dad, I can pick up the phone at any time and call him, and I know he'll answer, and I know he is always gonna be there for me if I need him. And I, I, I still, at this stage in my life, find great comfort in that.

And I wanna provide that same type of comfort to my children. I want them to know that I'm always gonna be there for them, and I'm always gonna be there to talk to them and to, to help them through any situation that they might encounter. I want them to find the comfort in that, that I have found in my relationship with my father.

But the reality is, is that my father can't always be here with me. He can't always be here physically, and there will come a time where he won't even be here any longer in this life with me, and, and that's the reality that all of us face. Is that no matter the comfort we find in the presence of our parents or our grandparents or our best friends or whatever it is, there is a limited amount of time and a limited capability for them to be present with us.

But with God, that's not the case. And so he wants us. To feel and experience the same comfort with him that we do with our physical family, even to a greater degree. He can intervene in ways that our physical families can't, and he can be present in a way that no other human being can be. For me, I, I, I still have to take steps to, to reach out to my dad if I need him with God.

He's right here. All the time always present with me. And so the comfort that I find in other relationships really should just build the, the level of comfort that I can find in God. It should increase it exponentially because his capabilities to be there for me far exceed even those, my closest circle that I find comfort in knowing that they're there.

Yeah, no question about that. I, I'll pause just for a second to, you know, give us a quick plug. Hey, next week your dad will be with us. That's true. You'll be right, you know, right here on this podcast, uh, next week. So, uh, come back and listen. That's right. You know, for that. But you're, you're exactly right.

And, you know, I was thinking about it as you were, you know, making mention, I mean, use your, your dad as an example, and that's a good one. But, you know, there, there's a reality that if, if you are in a time of need. Y your dad, he, his desire, his high desire is to be there for you if you need him. Mm-hmm. I, I know your dad, my dad's the same way.

Yeah. And, and his desire is that, and so when you have a need. And you reach out to your dad, it's possible you're not gonna get him. Mm-hmm. Uh, he's not gonna answer, or he is got something else going on. Yeah. I mean, it, it, you know, that have anything to do with his desire to wanna be there for you, but yet with God, because he is always present.

In our urgent time of need when we reach out to him, he, he's not just a phone call away, right? He's right next to us. Yeah. I mean, he's, you, you reach out and you grab hold of him. You know, it reminds me in Psalm 23, which is certainly a well-known Psalm in lots of people, you know, certainly have it memorized in a lot of ways and.

You know, some people may think it's overused, but there's such an incredible power in that psalm, especially in our relationship with God and, and specifically in Psalm 23 and verse four. You know, that point is made when he talks about when we are in a need position that you know, verse four, yay, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.

Well for you are with me. Mm-hmm. You know, you're Rod and your staff that come from me. What an incredible easy line. Yeah. I'm not gonna fear why, because you are with me, not you are near me, or you are a phone call away, or you are, you know, accessible if I need to, you know, get to you, you are right here with me.

And that is the power that God is able to bring. That's a great point. Well, let's finish up with another passage of scripture this time in Isaiah chapter 43, that, uh, I just love the visual that, that this passage, uh, creates in our minds as we think about God's presence. And Isaiah chapter 43, God is, is speaking to his people as he provides comfort to them that he is going to redeem them and he's going to care for them.

And Isaiah chapter 43 in verse two, he says, when you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you for I am the Lord your God.

Thank you for listening this week. If you haven't already done so, we'd appreciate it if you would take just a second to subscribe to the podcast. Whatever platform you're listening, rate and review the show so we can continue to spread the good news of Jesus widely and effectively as possible. Thanks again for joining us this week, and we'll talk again next week.