Last week we began discussing what is the defining question of human existence: Who is God? And what is He like? From the beginning of time, people and people groups have tried to answer this question. Thankfully, we have the answer! It’s found in the entirety of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. The Bible is God’s revelation (revealing) of Himself to us. We know about God by what we learn about Him in Scripture.
Last week, I wrote about three attributes of God’s greatness:
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God is independent
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God is omnipotent
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God is omniscient
Today, I’d like to discuss three more attributes of His greatness:
4. God is omnipresent: He is present everywhere at all times.
Psalm 139:7-10 states:
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!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
The omnipresence of God allows for His transcendence, which means God exists within His created world, yet distinct from it.
The omnipresence of God also allows for His immanence, which means that God is near to us.
What does this mean for you?
It means that you can be confident in God’s presence. No matter what you’re going through, whether insignificant or critical, God is there with you. There is nowhere you can go from His presence. He is there, and He cares!
5. God is eternal: He does not have a beginning or an end. He is infinite and unlimited by time. (Exodus 3:14; Psalm 90:2; Revelation 1:8; Job 36:26)
God’s personal name is Yahweh, which means “I AM.” Not “I was” or “I will be,” but “I AM.” God is eternal, which means He is uncreated. Over the years, many children have asked me where God came from. When was He born? I tell them that God was not born; God did not have a beginning. This blows their mind, and truthfully, it’s mind-boggling to me as well. Think about that: there has never been a time when God was not. God is eternal towards the future, but He is also eternal towards the past. God is the “uncaused cause.”
What does this mean for you?
It means that you can be confident in His praise. Because God is eternal, unlike any other, He is worthy of praise. Everything else has been created from God; but God was not created, so He deserves our praise and worship.
6. God is immutable: He never changes. (Malachi 3:6; Psalm 102:25-27; James 1:17)
God does not change. He cannot change. He is “the same yesterday, today and forever.” So, that means that His character never changes. His plan never changes. His desires never change.
What does that mean for you?
It means that you can be confident in His purposes. You don’t have to worry that God’s attitude might change, or His personality might change. You never have to be concerned that He will be in a bad, grumpy mood if you ask Him for something in prayer. No, you can rest assured that He is always the same. That should give us peace and confidence in approaching His throne of grace.
The greatness of God is amazing, and unique only to Him. No one or nothing else has those six qualities I have discussed. He, and He alone, possesses those attributes. Therefore, He and He alone, is worthy of our worship!