Known and Near

Known and Near: God’s Presence Then and Now

I grew up believing God’s presence was something you had to feel.It was the warm rush during a song, the goosebumps at a conference, or that rare “mountaintop” moment at camp when you would say, God was really there.

And if I did not feel that? I wondered if I had done something wrong or, more frustratingly, what I was not doing right.

But the more I read Scripture, the more I realized that God’s presence is far more certain and far less dependent on my emotions than I had been taught.

The Bible does not just speak of God’s presence in one way. It shows us several ways, all of them deeply personal but not all of them tied to a feeling. Each is fulfilled most clearly in the presence of the Triune God: the Father who is for us, the Son who is with us, and the Spirit who is in us.

God’s Omnipresence // He Is Everywhere

The first thing Scripture teaches is that God is everywhere in His fullness.

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.(Psalm 139:7–10)

This means He is not partly here and partly there. The God who fills heaven and earth is fully present in every place and every moment.

That is comforting for the believer because you can never be outside His reach. It is sobering for the unbeliever because you can never hide from Him.

Yet God’s being everywhere is not the whole story. Throughout Scripture we see that He also draws near in unique and relational ways.

God’s Covenant Presence // He Is With His People

From Genesis to Revelation, God makes covenant promises to be with His people.

He walked with Adam and Eve in the garden (Genesis 3:8).He told Isaac, “I will be with you” (Genesis 26:3).He assured Moses, “My presence will go with you” (Exodus 33:14).Jesus promised His disciples, “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20).

This is more than His general omnipresence. This is His personal, committed, and covenantal nearness. This is His presence with His people in blessing, guidance, and fellowship.

God’s Manifest Presence // His Glory Revealed

At times in redemptive history, God has chosen to manifest His glory in ways that could not be mistaken.

-When His glory filled the tabernacle and temple, the priests could not stand to minister (Exodus 40:34–35; 1 Kings 8:10–11).-When Isaiah saw His glory, he cried, “Woe is me” (Isaiah 6:5).-At Pentecost, His Spirit came with the sound of wind and the sight of fire (Acts 2:1–4).

God’s manifest glory is rare, overwhelming, and always on His terms. It humbled, terrified, and in some cases even killed those who experienced it.

This is why chasing “glory moments” in worship misses the point. Glory is not the same as presence, and presence today is not about spectacle.

God’s Indwelling Presence // The Spirit in Us

In the New Covenant, God’s presence comes closer still: the Holy Spirit dwells in every believer.

I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth... You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.(John 14:16–17)

If you are in Christ, you are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19). You do not have to invite Him in during a song or hope He shows up in a service. He is already in you.

His work is steady, holy, convicting, comforting, assuring, and guiding you in the truth. This is the presence you live in every, not found in hype but in the unshakable reality of belonging to Him.

God’s Presence in the Worship of the ChurchWhile God is always with His people, Scripture promises a special nearness when the church gathers in Christ’s name (Matthew 18:20).

In the Bible, the worship of the gathered church is not limited to singing. It is the whole order of the service: the reading and preaching of the Word, prayer, the sacraments, and the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; all offered together to God.

He is present in the call to worship, as His Word draws us to Himself.He is present in our prayers, hearing and answering His people.He is present in the reading and preaching of Scripture, speaking through His Word.He is present in the sacraments, feeding and assuring us in the Lord’s Supper and confirming His covenant promises in baptism.He is present in the benediction, sending us out with His blessing.

The gathered worship of the church is not our attempt to reach up to God. It is God coming to meet with His people through the means He has appointed through Word, sacrament, prayer, and song all by the power of His Spirit.

Presence Is Not Always a Feeling // It Is a Knowing

Here is the truth that changed everything for me: God’s presence is not something you have to feel to know it is real.

Feelings come and go, but God’s promise stands forever. You might feel joy, you might feel nothing, you might feel grief, but if you are in Christ, the reality has not changed. He is with you. He is in you. He will not leave you.

So do not measure God’s nearness by goosebumps. Measure it by His Word. Rest in the truth that His presence is not earned, stirred up, or summoned. It is given. It is secured. It is promised.

Known and Near

From Eden to the new creation, the story of Scripture is the story of the God who is both infinitely everywhere and wonderfully near.

If you are in Christ, you do not have to search for His presence as though it is hiding. You do not have to stir it up or chase a feeling.

Rest in what is already true:He is with you.He is in you.And that is enough.