Jehovah-Shammah – “The LORD Is There” (Part 2)

by Chris Simmons

In last week’s article, the question was discussed: How important to us is it that God go with us each step of our lives? The context of Exodus 33:12-16 was considered where we read of God’s promise that, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest” followed by Moses response to God when he said, “If Thy presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Thy sight, I and Thy people? Is it not by Thy going with us, so that we, I and Thy people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?” Moses realized that any journey without God is a journey not to be taken. If God is not there, neither should we. But God is there for those who are faithful to Him wherever they may be. Even when the young man Joseph had been betrayed by his brothers and had been sold into bondage in Egypt, the Lord was there with him “and rescued him from all his afflictions, and granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt” (Acts 7:9-10).

God is not bound by human boundaries or physical locations. Paul, as he addressed the idolatrous Athenians about their idol to the “unknown God” in Acts chapter seventeen, made sure to establish the fact with them that, “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all things” (Acts 17:24-25). The Lord is there in the church today but He is not bound to a particular physical habitation. Worship in the kingdom is not restricted to any physical location (John 4:21) but wherever faithful saints assemble (Hebrews 10:24-25) to worship God “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24), the Lord is there. Even Solomon, as he reflected upon the building of the temple of God, recognized that no human structure can contain God. “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain Thee, how much less this house which I have built!” (I Kings 8:27-28).

To speak of God in this regard is to speak of His omni-present nature – that is, God’s ability to be in all places at all times. There is nowhere we can go where God’s presence does not reach. Nothing done, said or thought by all of mankind throughout the history of the world has escaped His divine attention, wherever man is, the Lord is there. David lived with a recognition of the omni-present nature of God and expressed that in Psalms 139:1-12, “Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me. Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up; Thou dost understand my thought from afar. Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down, and art intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, Thou dost know it all. Thou hast enclosed me behind and before, and laid Thy hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it. Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Thy hand will lead me, and Thy right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to Thee, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to Thee.” David’s inspired remarks tie together not only the omni-presence of God but His omniscience as well. God indeed sees all and knows all and wherever we are, whatever we do, the Lord is there. Jonah learned the hard way that we most definitely can not “flee…from the presence of the Lord” (Jonah 1:3) for even though Jonah went the opposite direction that God had told him, the Lord was there.

We can view the omni-presence and omniscience of God from two perspectives. The case of Jonah perhaps illustrates both. One, if we are self-willed and determined to pursue a path contrary to God’s will and try to hide from His presence, those divine characteristics will result in the misguided view that God has a “gotcha” mindset. Indeed, no one who persists in sin will ever escape the notice of God and Peter promises us that “the Lord knows how to… keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment” (II Peter 2:9). Our sins will be found out by God without exception (Numbers 32:23). God spoke through Jeremiah the prophet and addressed those prophets who uttered lies and spoke without His authority and assures us that their presumptuous sins are not hidden from His sight. Jeremiah 23:23-24, “‘Am I a God who is near,’ declares the Lord, ‘and not a God far off? Can a man hide himself in hiding places, so I do not see him?’ declares the Lord. ‘Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?’ declares the Lord.”

The other perspective is a much more comforting one which is also displayed by Jonah. That is, when we are ready to humbly submit to God’s will and are ready and willing to confess and repent of our sins, the Lord is there, ready and willing to draw close to us. Though Jonah found himself in the stomach of a “great fish” (Jonah 1:17) in the depths of the sea, Jonah found humility, prayed to God in a most unique circumstance, and the Lord was there to hear his petition and plea. What a blessing and comfort to know that wherever we may be and in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves, the Lord is always there to hear our supplications, concerns and troubles if we are making every effort in our lives to walk humbly with our God. The Lord is there to comfort the afflicted, encourage the fainthearted and exhort our faithful obedience. The Lord is there upon His throne (Psalms 47:8) and we are exhorted to “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). From this perspective, David was able to view the Lord as his “refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalms 46:1). We can count on God to stand with the faithful in times of trials and distress (Acts 23:11; II Timothy 4:17). Thanks be to God that He is there to hear our prayers.