When Does God Turn Up? Biblical Authority Devotional: God’s Character, Part 6 by Steve Ham, AiG-U.S.

Where can I go from your spirit or where can I flee from your presence. (Psalm 139:7)

Today’s big question: when does God turn up?

Have you ever heard Christians make statements like “God turned up”? What about when people pray and invite God into their meeting? Can these statements be consistent with the Bible’s teaching on the presence of God?

The verse above tells us that we cannot go anywhere from God’s presence. In fact, if you read further in that passage, it tells us that we are not able to escape God’s presence anywhere on earth, in heaven, and so on. God sees all and is everywhere, and the great example we all know, Jonah, would testify to this.

The Bible gives us insight into a history of this world that is consistent with the physical evidence we have today; however, God’s Word can only be fully comprehended with an understanding that the Bible is given to us by an ever-present God.

Take, for example, the Flood of Noah’s day. The Genesis account tells us that all the fountains of the deep broke forth and that all the high mountains of the earth were covered. How could we know this but for an ever-present God? Yet, this is one example of many in the Bible that are truly consistent with an understanding of God’s eternal and limitless presence. Since the Bible is God's Word, we would also expect it to state God’s limitless presence, which is what we find.

To make statements such as “God turned up” or to “invite” God to a meeting He is already present at is more or less a misunderstanding of His omnipresence. God always “turns up” because He is always present and always working His purpose. This should give us a sense of awe. We spend every waking and sleeping moment in the presence of an awesome Creator.

Today’s big idea: you just read this devotion in the presence of God.

What to pray: Spend some time in silence first, just acknowledging that you are in His presence.