God is Omnipresent

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed,
for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the story of Joseph. Among the 12 sons, Joseph found himself to be his dad’s favorite. Since the other brothers were jealous, they decided to sell Joseph into slavery. After Joseph worked himself out of slavery, he was sent to be a servant in Potiphar’s house, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. Potiphar’s wife accused Joseph of trying to lie with her, and Joseph was then thrown into prison. Even though Joseph was faithful and obeyed God, his bad situation became worse. If I were in Joseph’s shoes, I couldn’t help but scream out to God and say ‘Where are you!? Why is all of this happening to me!’
 
Perhaps there has been a time in your life you’ve experienced the feeling of ‘God, where are you?' Even though this seems to be more common in my life than I desire, the Bible is very clear that just because God may be silent, doesn’t mean that he is absent. One of the greatest themes in all of scripture is: God is with us. From creation to the incarnation, and until complete restoration, the presence of God is with us. Even when Christ returns and complete restoration occurs, the theme of eternity is God with us forever as everything is made new.
 
The same was true in the most difficult parts of Joseph’s situation. When Joseph was betrayed by his own family and sold into slavery, God was with him. When Joseph was betrayed by Potiphar’s wife and thrown into prison, God was with him. God never left. In addition to God never leaving, God was working. In the end, Joseph was promoted to a leadership position he could never have imagined. Joseph could never have dreamed of that type of leadership role while he was in slavery or prison!
 
So, what’s this mean for us? Why does it matter that God is with us? This means God is near. He is near to the broken-hearted. It means in your darkest of times, you are not alone. Not only are you not alone, but you have one that can empathize with you in every way. God with us also means we can sing lyrics like ‘even when I don’t see it you're working, you never stop, you never stop working,’ and we can actually believe it. It’s not just an inspirational song or thought, rather it’s biblical truth and a reality.
 
Even though God’s presence may sometimes be hard to see, it’s always there. Corrie Ten Boom was a Christian who survived a concentration camp. In the midst of the terrible situation Corrie lived through, she and the other ladies in her barrack had fleas. One could easily push God out of this equation and be mad at him, yet she chose to see fleas as God’s gift. Corrie saw fleas as God’s presence with them. She believed the fleas represented God’s presence because it kept the guards out of the barracks. Since the guards stayed outside of the barracks, Corrie was able to lead a bible study inside for other Jews in the concentration camp. God’s presence can even be seen in a pesky flea.
 
Whether you are going to school, heading to work, or hanging at home today, actively look for God’s presence. God is with you in all your tasks today, and in every one of your relationships good and bad. No matter what comes your way today, don’t forget that God is with you, he is for you, and he is the mighty one that saves you. (Zephaniah 3:17)
 
Questions for reflection:
  1.  Think back on the past week. Are there some times you can remember God being with you?
  2. Are there any times that you missed God's presence with you?
  3.  Thank him now for his promise to never leave you.
Jay Quick | Student Ministries Director