The answer to “Where is God?” may seem obvious – of course He’s everywhere. He’s present in us and in the world around us, as well throughout the universe and in the smallest cell. Yet sometimes we feel very distant from Him. We know His Presence is everywhere, but is there a specific place where He lives, a ‘home place’ for Him, somewhere we can go to find Him when we really need Him?
We think of things in this life in three dimensions (height, length and width). Since that is all we know so we try to force God into our limited understanding of time and space to get a better grasp of Him. We know God is not limited by physical space. 1 Kings 8:27 says neither the earth or the heavens can contain Him – He is beyond them all. We also know He is everywhere at once. In Psalm 139:7-10, King David writes, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” This passage makes it clear that there is no physical place where God is not present. God is not limited to a physical location (John 4:24).
While God is everywhere, the Bible associates certain places with God’s Presence is a special way. One is the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle and then the Temple. In fact, all of Jerusalem is linked to God in a special way (1 Kings 8:10-11).
God’s Presence had left the Temple during the time of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 11:22-23) because of the people’s sin and rebellion. He never returned to the physical temple in Jerusalem, but instead He Himself later came to earth as Jesus, 100% man and 100% God (John 1:1-14).
However, after Jesus’ death and resurrection things changed. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 declares: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.” This passage tells us that as Christians, we are the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, and therefore God is with us wherever we go. 1 Corinthians 3:16 adds, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” This means that when we accept Jesus as our Savior, God’s Spirit takes up residence within us. So, while God is not confined to a physical place, He is present in the lives of His people. That means His Presence is now in you and me – what an awesome thought that is!
When we leave the limits of this world we will experience God’s Presence in a very special way. We read about this in Isaiah 6:1-8; 66:1 and Revelation 5:1-10; 7:17; 21:1-3. We will be with God in heaven! I wish I could tell you where that is and what it will be like but I don’t know any more than what these passages say. We’ll experience it when we get there! Still, it obviously is a very real place.
So, if God is always everywhere, what are we to do when He feels far away? Be it times of struggle or suffering or the result of sin in our lives, just because He ‘feels’ far away we know He really isn’t. We notice His Presence in good times more clearly than bad, but that doesn’t mean He isn’t always with us. Psalm 46:1 assures us that, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Another verse that reminds us that God is with us in our pain and our struggles is Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
God assures us of His Presence when we come near to Him in submission and obedience. James 4:8 says, “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” Jesus reveals in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” As we do our best to live holy lives, we can grow closer to our holy God and become more aware of his presence with us. Matthew 1:23 calls Jesus “Immanuel,” which means “God with us.”
The more time we spend communicating with God through prayer and meditation, the more we can become aware of his presence with us. When God feels far away, we can also find him in nature. Romans 1:19-20 says that people who want to know God can discover his qualities in nature, which God has created: “For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. Since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” So, enjoying nature (such as hiking through a forest or sitting on a beach) can strengthen our perception of God’s presence with us as we reflect on God’s role as the Creator of the natural world around us.
Jeremiah 29:11-14: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord.”
What do you do when God doesn’t feel close?
What do you need to remember at those times?
cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India & Africa & Spanish Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling, World View)
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