God's Not a Heavenly Spectator

Our concept of God inevitably determines our philosophical worldview. The question of the existence or non-existence of God is primary, but so is the question of God's power and character. Theologians speak of the "attributes" of God, meaning the particulars about God's revealed nature. If we start with the right concept of God, the worldview will be properly aligned. If the concept of God is sub-biblical, the worldview will be sub-biblical as well.

What more does the Bible reveal about God's nature? God not only knows all, but He is everywhere at once. God is always near to us, and we cannot escape His presence. We refer to this as God's omnipresence. King David knew this, and asked: "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me." [Psalm 139:7-10] God's omnipresence reminds us that all creation is His, and that He is never far from us.

Stephen Charnock saw this clearly when he explained that "God is essentially everywhere present in heaven and earth. If God be, He must be somewhere; that which is nowhere, is nothing. Since God is, He is in the world; not in one part of it; for then He would be circumscribed by it: if in the world, and only there, though it be a great space, He were also limited."

There is far more to say, for God is not only omnipresent and omniscient, He is also omnipotent. The Lord is almighty and holds all power. In the Old Testament He is revealed as El Shaddai--God almighty. As Nebuchadnezzar reminds us, "no one can ward off His hand." He is the source of all that is, and of every power. There is no power in heaven or on earth which can thwart His plans, frustrate His will, or force His hand.

Kings and earthly leaders may think themselves powerful, but like Nebuchadnezzar they will discover their limits. Nations exult in their power, but, as the prophet Isaiah stated, "All the nations are as nothing before Him, they are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless." [Isaiah 40:17] This is a cogent and prophetic word to our own nation. The Lord is the only all-powerful One, and all the nations will one day bow before Him. No force, no power, no king, no president, no nation, nor even all the powers of the universe combined can stay His hand or force His action.

Continued on page 2: God is not 'doing the best He can under the circumstances'... »