The Always Near Never Far Away God

Scripture: Read Psalm 139

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?

Psalm 139:7

Observe

These words appear in one of the most well loved and quoted songs of King David. It is a beautiful psalm that reveals the intimacy David enjoyed with God. David presents himself to God, delights himself in God and wonders at the magnificence of God. One can’t help but read it and feel a sense of longing for this same level of expression before God. One can’t help but read it and be struck by the beauty and brilliance of God. 

In verse 7 David expresses what he does about the presence of God. He wonders aloud ‘where shall I go from your Spirit?’ and through considering the options concludes with amazement ‘no where, you are everywhere.’ 

I remember first coming across this psalm in an R.E. lesson when I was at school. My teacher showed a video of a man reciting the psalm, prancing about as he did so and running to different backdrops to reflect the different ideas in the psalm. What I remember about it was the man’s sense of horror that he couldn’t escape God. For him it seemed to be an awful thing, ‘there’s just no escaping you God!! Horror of horrors!’ Whether that’s how he intended to communicate it or just how my teenage brain remembered it I don’t know but for a while in my Christian life I stayed away from this psalm. I didn’t want to remember the sheer terror of suffocation or dreaded panic that I thought I’d feel over the inescapability of God. I see now that that’s not what David means to communicate; it’s certainly not how I read it now. 

I can see how this psalm would create panic for those wishing to run from God or for those wishing to sin and disobey God. But for those of us who are sons and daughters of God; for those of us who have believed in the Lord Jesus and been baptised into his death and resurrection, this psalm is wonderful news. 

Apply

I cannot be lost by God. His question to Adam in the garden ‘where are you?’ wasn’t a question of geography. The sovereign creator of all things didn’t lose the man he’d made in a forest - ‘now… where did I have in him last?’ - no, God is always with us.

In the New Testament we’re told by James that God is Spirit, and it’s precisely his Spirit that David has in mind here. God the Holy Spirit is everywhere, all around us and never away from us. When we pray ‘come Holy Spirit’ we’re not so much asking for him to come somewhere he isn’t as we are desiring him to make us aware of his presence. 

This is wonderful. Our closest companion and most intimate helper is never apart from us. I may not always know his presence, I may not always feel close to him or feel familiar with him, but he is here nonetheless. Not only is the Spirit of God always all around me and never away from me, I also have him living inside me. He is the one who enables me to call God ‘dad’ and he is the one who strengthens me on the inside when I’m feeling weak and frail. O how good it is to be a disciple of Jesus. I’ve had my sins forgiven and my future secured. I’ve been adopted into God’s family, given meaning and purpose and I have the presence and person of God the Holy Spirit with me at all times as well.

Prayer

Father, it’s no wonder that David marvelled in this psalm ‘how vast is the sum of them’ when thinking about your thoughts and your wisdom. God you are so good and I am so honoured. I have been blessed in the beloved and given every spiritual blessing in Christ. I cannot express my gratitude enough, thank you.

Amen.