by Leigh Ann Dilley on November 13, 2025
Have you ever stopped to think about how the omnipresence of God? From a human perspective, it seems hard to imagine. Being fully present, even in the best of relationships, is hard. It requires full-on engagement and active listening, which can be exhausting! Too often, we impose what we learn from our human relationships and our limitations onto our relationship with God.
Do you find it hard to believe we have a God that pursues us and whose greatest desire is to be with us? His availability to us is unlimited. It is not based on how we behavior or our needs. He is not distracted or too busy. We don’t have to share His attention, and He doesn’t even have favorites! Psalm 139 says He knows everything about me… and everything I do. His hand of blessing is upon my head. I can’t escape His Spirit. How precious are His thoughts about me. This means God knows the worst things about us too and it does not change a thing. He still constantly pursues us.
Consider how God was present to the Israelites in a pillar of clouds by day and a pillar of fire by night. Summer Joy Gross in The Emmanuel’s Promise says “He was training them to depend on His presence for every step and to eat out of His hand. He was training them to look around them for visual reminders of His nearness”. His training has never stopped. He is present for us, just as he was present for the Israelites. How often do we look for visual reminders of His presence? A friend of mine put it this way, “When I drive my car, I look out the rearview mirror frequently. My eyes return to what is ahead of me often. I’m always glancing off to my left and my right to see that I am where I need to be. Why don’t I look for God this way”? It’s an interesting question, isn’t it?
Wouldn’t it be lovely if we could develop a habit of being aware or at least looking for God’s constant presence. It takes time to develop, and it is ok to start small. Again, from Summer Joy Gross, she suggests we start with one sensory reminder of the presence of God at a time. Something we can tangibly touch is often a good place to start. Be creative. Make the tangible thing something that you can take with you, so when you touch it, you are reminded of God’s presence. Soon a sense of security will develop. Whenever you touch this tangible item, you will be reminded that God is near, and you are safe in His nearness.
When we develop a habit of remembering we live in God’s presence, we do not need to be swallowed by trauma, drama, or any of our “what if’s” of “even if’s”. But, even if we find ourselves surrounded by an unwanted circumstance, God is consistent. He is still near and still pursues us. He remains constant even when life’s circumstances around us do not.
