The Spirit - Omnipresent

Psalm 139:7-12 (ESV) ⁷ Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? ⁸ If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! ⁹ If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, ¹⁰ even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. ¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” ¹² even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.

I recall very vividly and soberly, of the time when I was preparing to take my life. There are not words to really add additional weight nor emphasis to this statement. For those who have fallen so fully into the darkness of this world that they don’t know how to climb out or even want to climb out…you sadly empathize with me on this. I recall sitting in my bed and saying to myself, “I can end this pain right now.”

As soon as that last syllable left my lips I was hit by this overwhelming and indescribable sickness in my stomach. A sudden clarity entered my mind and It was almost as if I saw my wife and daughters, friends and family lamenting the loss that would come and the pain it would put upon them. A moment that lasted less than 2 seconds. A moment that without any hesitation I can say was given to me by The Holy Spirit. Praise God, I did not take my life that night. Instead, I sought medical help.

The Holy Spirit is everywhere at all times. That is the attribute of Omnipresence of course. When we make this statement we merely think of geographic locations. We don’t, however, think of moments in time. I can confidently say that The Spirit is everywhere at once in all places and in all times! ESPECIALLY the times when we feel most alone and without hope.

My all-time favorite body of Scripture is Psalm 139. Look at the Scriptures for today. David is rejoicing of God’s presence with him in all places, times, and events. Thick and thin we might call it. But one word reverberates in my very soul in a way that I cannot avoid but meditate on. “Sheol” This was another name for where unbelievers would go after they die to wait upon Judgement Day. You may also call this Hell, Hades, etc. So it begs a question for me. Did David literally go to Hell?

Let me comfort you by answering that. No, he did not hahaha! The Psalms are songs of worship that are written using melodic and poetic styles. This is no exception! David is saying here that God is with him even in the highest of heights “heaven” and lowest of lows “sheol.” He goes on to illuminate this by stating that even the darkness is not dark to you! (Pun intended)

Church! CHURCH! I want to say this as loudly as a man can do so through printed words. YOU CANNOT EXIST ANYWHERE THAT THE SPIRIT CANNOT REACH YOU OR BE WITH YOU! Once you are His, He is ALWAYS with you! Your dark night of the soul. Your pinnacle of heaven. Your lost family member or job. Your new family member being born. Your sickness. Your addiction free anniversary. Your addiction relapse. Your cancer remission.

Once you belong to Him He will assuredly be with you for all of your days. That is a promise! That is a promise FROM GOD! Believer you are NOT alone. Believer it IS worth it to keep on living even when you are exhausted. I know you’re tired. God knows you’re tired. Let Him sustain you! He is holding you…..and He will never let you go.

Soli Deo Gloria!!!!