By 
In the first chapter of the book of Jonah, we learn an important truth about our God. We learn that He is everywhere. The twenty-five cent theological term for God being everywhere is omnipresent. Omni means all and present means that He is here with us.
God is completely present with us—He is always with us, always near—in fact He is present everywhere. Jonah failed to realize this. After being commissioned by God to go to Nineveh to warn them of God’s coming judgement, Jonah set sail in disobedience toward Tarshish. We are told that he rose to flee…from the presence of the Lord (Jonah 1:3, ESV). Jonah, however, failed to understand that there is nowhere we can go to get away from God because He is everywhere.
David says it in this way in Psalm 139: Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there (Psalm 139:7-8, ESV).
This doctrine is important to remember for a few reasons. One, because God is everywhere present, there is no place one can go to get away from Him in sin. Jonah was disobedient, and he knew it. God called him to go east and he went west, but Jonah was hoping he would get far enough away to be beyond God’s sight. What we learn in Jonah’s story is that that place does not exist. God is everywhere and sees everything.
Though you may put on your best face to come to church and fool a lot of people, you never fool God because you do not leave Him behind like you do your church family each week. He is fully and entirely present with you in your home, in the workplace, in your car, and behind closed doors. He even knows what is going on in your heart and mind (Psalm 139:1-3). He knows you better than you know yourself. What He knows, and how He views you, is what really matters because He is the one you answer to.
Another application to be made by us as believers from this important truth is that because God is everywhere, we are never alone. We do not have to go on an exclusive retreat, or through the doors of our church building, to have access to and experience God. Though you can fellowship with and enjoy Him in those places, as a believer you also have continual access to Him whenever and wherever you are, through Jesus. You have access to Him and can experience Him at any time in your home, in the workplace, in your car—in the most private of places you find yourself.
You also do not need a priest or a pastor or lay leader to have access to God—you can go straight to Him through Christ because He, Jesus, is your priest. Because of Him we are priests and can go before God in boldness at anytime, anywhere. The author of Hebrews tells us:
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God…Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16, ESV).
This should be an encouragement to us as believers. We often settle for far less than what God intends. We don’t go to Him as we should. He is waiting and ready for you to spend quality time with Him. When you have major decisions that you are wrestling with, God is there wanting you to bring those difficult decisions to Him. When you are struggling spiritually, He is there to provide help in your time of need (Hebrews 4:16). When the storms of this life hit and seem too difficult to bear, God is there waiting for you to lay your burdens before Him.
How encouraging it is to know in the uncertain, difficult, and challenging times in life that God is present, He is near, and He cares!
Graham Hale
Graham Hale is the Pastor of Fellowship Bible Church in Jacksonville, TX. and is a Womenary Professor. He earned a B.A. (Political Science) from the University of Arkansas in 2001 and a M.Div. (Missiology) from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in 2006. Graham is currently pursuing a D.Min. (Pastoral Leadership) at Southwestern Theological Seminary.
