وجبـــــــة روحيـــــ(†)ــــــــــة يوميـــــــــة

[Mary Naeem]

ماذا تعرف عن الله أزلي أبدي؟




الجواب: إن التعبير "أزلي أبدي" يعنى "بلا بداية أو نهاية". يخبرنا مزمور 90: 2 الآتي عن أزلية وأبدية الله: "مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تُولَدَ الْجِبَالُ، أَوْ أَبْدَأْتَ الأَرْضَ وَالْمَسْكُونَةَ، مُنْذُ الأَزَلِ إِلَى الأَبَدِ أَنْتَ اللهُ." بما أن البشر يقيسون كل شيء بمقياس الزمن فمن الصعي علينا أن نفهم شيء لا بداية ولا نهاية له ولكنه كان موجوداً وسيستمر إلى الأبد. ولكن الكتاب المقدس لا يحاول إثبات وجود الله أو أنه كائن منذ الأزل وإلى الأبد، بل ببساطة يبدأ الكتاب المقدس بعبارة "فِي الْبَدْءِ ... اللهُ..." (تكوين 1: 1) في إشارة إلى أنه منذ بداية الزمن المعروف كان الله موجوداً. فمنذ الأزمان السحيقة بلا حدود وإلى الأزمان الممتدة بلا حدود، منذ العصور الأزلية إلى العصور الأبدية كان الله موجوداً وسيظل موجود إلى الأبد.

عندما دعا الله موسى ليحمل رسالة منه إلى شعب إسرائيل، تساءل موسى ماذا عساه أن يقول لهم لو سألوه عن إسم الله. كانت إجابة الله له معبرة وواضحة: "فَقَالَ اللهُ لِمُوسَى: «أَهْيَهِ الَّذِي أَهْيَهْ». وَقَالَ: «هكَذَا تَقُولُ لِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ: أَهْيَهْ أَرْسَلَنِي إِلَيْكُمْ»." (خروج 3: 14). وهذه إشارة إلى كيان الله الحقيقي، الكائن بذاته، وهو رأس كل الكائنات. وهي أيضاً وصف لأبديته وثباته وأمانته في تحقيق مواعيده لأنها تشمل كل الزمان الماضي والحاضر والمستقبل. أي أنني لست فقط ما أنا في الحاضر ولكنني كائن من الماضي وأنا سأظل في المستقبل كما أنا. هذه هي كلمات الله نفسه متحدثاً عن أزليته وأبديته والتي يوجهها الينا على صفحات الكتاب المقدس.

يسوع المسيح، الله المتجسد، قد برهن ألوهيته وأبديته للناس في زمانه بأن أعلن لهم: "قَبْلَ أَنْ يَكُونَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ أَنَا كَائِنٌ" (يوحنا 8: 58). من الواضح هنا أن يسوع كان يقول لهم أنه هو الله المتجسد لأن اليهود عند سماعهم هذه العبارة حاولوا رجمه للموت. فبالنسبة لليهود، فإن إدعاء أي شخص أنه هو الله يعتبر هذا تجديفاً يستوجب الموت (لاويين 24: 16). كان يسوع يقول لهم أنه أزلي أبدي كما أن الآب أزلي أبدي. وقد أعلن يوحنا هذا مرة أخرى فيما يخص طبيعة المسيح: "فِي الْبَدْءِ كَانَ الْكَلِمَةُ، وَالْكَلِمَةُ كَانَ عِنْدَ اللهِ، وَكَانَ الْكَلِمَةُ اللهَ" (يوحنا 1: 1). فقبل الأزمان المعروفة كان يسوع والآب واحد في الجوهر وكليهما أزلي أبدي.

يقول الكتاب المقدس في رومية 1: 20 أن طبيعة الله الأزلية وقدرته الأبدية أعلنت لنا من خلال الخليقة. فكل البشر يرون ويفهمون هذا الجانب من طبيعة الله بالإستدلال بالجوانب المختلفة لنظام الخليقة. فالشمس والأجسام السماوية تستمر في مداراتها قرنا بعد قرن. المواسم تتعاقب في أوقاتها المعينة؛ الأشجار تورق في الربيع وتسقط أوراقها في الخريف. وعام تلو الآخر تستمر هذه الظواهر ولا يستطيع أحد إيقافها أو تغيير خطة الله. كل هذه تشهد على قدرة الله الأبدية وخطته الأزلية للأرض. وفي يوم من الأيام سيخلق الله أرضاً جديدة وسماء جديدة وتلك أيضاً ستظل إلى الأبد. ونحن الذين ننتمي إلى المسيح بالإيمان سنظل إلى الأبد أيضاً مشاركين في صورة الله الأبدي الذي خلقنا على شبهه.

[Mary Naeem]

"What does it mean that God is eternal?"






Answer: The word eternal means "everlasting, having no beginning and no end." Psalm 90:2 tells us about God’s eternality: “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Since humans measure everything in time, it is very hard for us to conceive of something that had no beginning, but has always been, and will continue forever. However, the Bible does not try to prove God’s existence or His eternality, but simply begins with the statement “In the beginning God…” (Genesis 1:1), indicating that at the beginning of recorded time, God was already in existence. From duration stretching backward without limit to duration stretching forward without limit, from eternal ages to eternal ages, God was and is forever.

When Moses was commissioned by God to go to the Israelites with a message from Him, Moses wondered what he would tell them if they asked him what God’s name was. God’s reply is most revealing: “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you'" (Exodus 3:14). This signifies the real being of God, His self-existence, and that He is the Being of beings. It also describes His eternality and immutability, as well as His constancy and faithfulness in fulfilling His promises, because it includes all time, past, present, and future. The sense is, not only I am what I am at present, but I am what I have been, and I am what I shall be, and shall be what I am. God’s own words about His eternality speak to us from the pages of Scripture.

Jesus Christ, God incarnate, also verified His deity and His eternality to the people of His day by declaring to them, “Before Abraham was born, I AM” (John 8:58). It is clear that Jesus was claiming to be God in flesh because the Jews, upon hearing this statement, tried to stone Him to death. To the Jews, declaring oneself to be the eternal God was blasphemy and worthy of death (Leviticus 24:16). Jesus was claiming to be eternal, just as His Father is eternal. The apostle John also declared this truth regarding the nature of Christ: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Jesus and His Father are one in essence, they exist sans time, and they share equally in the attribute of eternality.

Romans 1:20 tells us that God’s eternal nature and His eternal power are revealed to us through His creation. All men see and understand this aspect of God’s nature by the witness of the various aspects of the created order. The sun and heavenly bodies continue in their orbits century after century. The seasons come and go in their appointed time; the trees produce leaves in spring and drop them in the fall. Year after year these things continue, and no one can stop them or alter God’s plan. All of this attests to God’s eternal power and plan for the earth. One day, He will create a new heaven and new earth and they, like Him, will continue into eternity. We who belong to Christ through faith will continue through eternity as well, sharing the eternality of our God in whose image we are created.

[Mary Naeem]

"Is God fair?"



Answer: In many people’s minds, fairness is everyone receiving exactly what he or she deserves. If God were completely “fair,” by this definition, we would all spend eternity in hell paying for our sin, which is exactly what we deserve. We have all sinned against God (Romans 3:23) and are therefore worthy of eternal death (Romans 6:23). If we “fairly” received what we deserve, we would end up in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14–15). But God is merciful and good, so He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross in our place, taking the punishment that we deserve (2 Corinthians 5:21). All we have to do is believe in Christ and we will be saved, and we will receive an eternal home in heaven (John 3:16). With the sacrifice of Christ, God maintains His “fairness” in that sin is adequately punished.

A synonym for fair is just, and the Bible is unequivocal that God is just: “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he” (Deuteronomy 32:4; see also 2 Chronicles 19:7; Romans 9:14; and 2 Thessalonians 1:6). God is “fair” in that He is unbiased, honest, and just. Peter, standing in a Gentile’s home and seeing the work of the Holy Spirit, said, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right” (Acts 10:34–35). God is eminently fair. He treats no one wrongly.

Despite God’s loving grace, no one would believe in Him on his own (Romans 3:10–18). God has to draw us to Himself in order for us to believe (John 6:44). God does not draw everyone, but only certain people He has sovereignly chosen (Romans 8:29–30; Ephesians 1:5, 11). This does not seem “fair” in the eyes of those who believe fairness requires everyone to be treated exactly the same way. In election, it appears that God is not treating all people equally. However, God does not have to choose anyone. Again, it would be entirely fair for everyone to spend eternity in hell. God’s saving some is not unfair to those who remain unsaved, as they are receiving precisely what they deserve.

Those whom God has chosen are receiving God’s love and grace. But, when God draws our hearts and opens our minds, we have the opportunity to respond to the revelation of the creation around us (Psalm 19:1–3) and the conscience within us (Romans 2:15) and turn to God. Those who do not respond will receive what they truly deserve because of their rejection of Him. Their punishment is fair (John 3:18, 36). Those who believe are receiving far better than they deserve. No one, though, is being punished beyond what he or she deserves. Is God fair? Yes. He is also gracious, merciful, and forgiving.

[Mary Naeem]

"What does God look like?"

Answer: God is a spirit (John 4:24), and so His appearance is not like anything we can describe. Exodus 33:20 tells us, “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” As sinful human beings, we are incapable of seeing God in all His glory. His appearance is utterly unimaginable and too glorious to be safely perceived by sinful man.

The Bible describes God appearing to people on various occasions. These instances should not be understood as describing exactly what God looks like, but rather as God revealing Himself to us in a way that we can understand. What God looks like is beyond our capability of understanding and describing. God gives glimpses of what He looks like to teach us truths about Himself, not necessarily so that we can have an image of Him in our minds. Two passages that powerfully describe God’s amazing appearance are Ezekiel 1:26-28 and Revelation 1:14-16.

Ezekiel 1:26-28 declares, “Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.” Revelation 1:14-16 proclaims, “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.”

These passages represent Ezekiel’s and John’s best attempts at describing the appearance of God. They had to use symbolic language to describe that for which human language has no words; i.e., “what appeared like,” “like the appearance,” “he looked like,” etc. We do know that when we are in heaven, “we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). Sin will be no more, and we will be able to perceive God in all His glory.

[Mary Naeem]

"Does God punish us when we sin?"



Answer: For believers in Jesus, all our sin—past, present, and future—has already been judged on the cross. As Christians, we will never be condemned for our sin. That was done once for all: “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Because of the sacrifice of Christ, God sees only the righteousness of Christ when He looks at us. Our sin has been nailed to the cross with Jesus, and we will never be “punished” for it, in the sense of being condemned. At the same time, God does discipline His children when they err, as any good father would. So it could be said that Christians are “punished” for sin, but only in the sense of being lovingly disciplined. The remainder of this article will refer to “discipline” to avoid the suggestion that Christians receive “punishment” (condemnation) from God for their sin.

If we continue to act in sinful ways and we do not repent and turn from that sin, God brings His divine discipline to bear upon us. If He did not, He would not be a loving and concerned Father. Just as we discipline our own children for their welfare, so does our heavenly Father lovingly correct His children for their benefit. Hebrews 12:7-11 tells us, "As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Whoever heard of a child who was never disciplined? If God doesn’t discipline you as He does all of His children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really His child after all. Since we respect our earthly fathers who disciplined us, should we not all the more cheerfully submit to the discipline of our heavenly Father and live forever? For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always right and good for us because it means we will share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”

Discipline, then, is how God lovingly turns His children from rebellion to obedience. Through discipline our eyes are opened more clearly to God’s perspective on our lives. As King David stated in Psalm 32, discipline causes us to confess and repent of sin we have not yet dealt with. In this way discipline is cleansing. It is also a growth catalyst. The more we know about God, the more we know about His desires for our lives. Discipline presents us with the opportunity to learn and to conform ourselves to the image of Christ (Romans 12:1-2). Discipline is a good thing!


We need to remember that sin is a constant in our lives while we are yet on this earth (Romans 3:10, 23). Therefore, we not only have to deal with God’s discipline for our disobedience, but we also have to deal with the natural consequences resulting from sin. If a believer steals something, God will forgive him and cleanse him from the sin of theft, restoring fellowship between Himself and the repentant thief. However, the societal consequences of theft can be severe, resulting in fines or even incarceration. These are natural consequences of sin and must be endured. But God works even through those consequences to increase our faith and glorify Himself.

[Mary Naeem]

"Does God tempt us to sin?"







Answer: In Genesis 22:1, the Hebrew word translated “tempted” is the word nacah, and it means “to test, try, prove, tempt, assay, put to the proof or test.” Because it has so many possible synonyms, we must look to the context and compare it to other passages. As we read the account of the event, we note that God did not intend Abraham to complete the sacrifice of Isaac. However, Abraham did not know that and was willing to carry out God’s orders, knowing that if God did require this, He was able to raise Isaac up from the dead (Hebrews 11:17-19). This passage in Hebrews is better translated “Abraham was ‘tried,’” instead of saying he was “tempted.” So, the conclusion is that in Genesis 22:1 the Hebrew word translated “tempt” has to do with testing or evaluating something.

James 1:13 gives a guiding principle: no one has the right to say that he has been tempted “of God.” The word “of” is essential to our understanding this statement, because it indicates the origin of something. Temptations to sin do not originate with God. James concludes: God cannot be tempted with evil, and God does not tempt anyone to sin.

Another important word in this discussion is found in James 1:3—“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into various trials; Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” The Greek word translated “trials” denotes trouble, or something that breaks the pattern of peace, comfort, joy and happiness in someone’s life. The verb form of this word means “to put someone or something to the test,” with the purpose of discovering that person’s nature or that thing’s quality. God brings such tests to prove—and increase—the strength and quality of one’s faith and to demonstrate its validity (vv. 2-12). So, according to James, when we face temptations, God’s purpose is to prove our faith and produce character. That is a high, good, noble motive.

Are there temptations which are designed to make us fail? Yes, but they do not come from God—they come from Satan (Matthew 4:1), his evil angels (Ephesians 6:12), or from ourselves (Romans 13:14; Galatians 5:13). God allows us to experience them, and they are allowed for our benefit. God told Abraham to offer Isaac—the temptation was not intended to get Abraham to sin, but to test and prove his faith.

[Mary Naeem]

"Is it sometimes God’s will for believers to be sick?"






Answer: The biblical doctrine of the sovereignty of God states that God is almighty over all. He is in complete control of all things—past, present and future—and nothing happens that is out of His jurisdiction. Either He directly causes—or He passively allows—everything that happens. But allowing something to happen and causing something to happen are two different things. For example, God caused the creation of the perfect, sinless Adam and Eve; then He allowed them to rebel against Him. He did not cause them to sin, and He certainly could have stopped them, but He chose not to for His own purposes and to bring about His perfect plan. That rebellion brought about all manner of evil—evil not caused by God, but allowed by Him to exist.

Sickness is one manifestation of the two broad types of evil—moral and natural. Moral evil is man’s inhumanity to man. Natural evil is composed of things like natural disasters and physical sickness. Evil itself is a perversion or corruption of something that was originally good, but is now missing something. In the case of sickness, illness is a state where good health is missing. The Greek word for evil, ponerous, actually implies a malignancy, something that is corrupting a good and healthy state of being.

When Adam sinned, he condemned all of humanity to suffer the consequences of that sin, one of which is sickness. Romans 8:20-22 says, “For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” God—the “one who subjected” the creation to frustration following the Fall—has a plan to eventually liberate creation from its bondage to sin, just as He liberates us from that bondage through Christ.

Until that day, God uses sickness and other evils to bring about His sovereign purpose, to glorify Himself, and to exalt His holy name. At times, He miraculously heals sickness. Jesus went through Israel healing all manner of sickness and disease (Matthew 4:23) and even raised Lazurus from the dead after illness killed him. At other times, God uses sickness as a method of discipline or as a judgment against sin. King Uzziah in the Old Testament was struck with leprosy (2 Chronicles 26:19-20). Nebuchadnezzar was driven to madness by God until he came to understand that “the Most High rules in the affairs of men” (Daniel 4). Herod was struck down and eaten by worms because he took God’s glory upon himself (Acts 12:21-23). There is even at least one case where God allowed disease—blindness—not as punishment for sin, but to reveal Himself and His mighty works through that blindness (John 9:1-3).

When illness does come, it may not be the result of God’s direct intervention in our lives, but is rather the result of the fallen world, fallen bodies, and poor health and lifestyle choices. And although there are scriptural indicators that God wants us to be in good health, (3 John 2), all sickness and disease are allowed by Him for His purposes, whether we understand them or not.

Sickness is certainly the result of the fall of man into sin, but God is very much in control, and He does indeed determine how far evil can go (just as He did with Satan and Job’s trials—Satan was not allowed to exceed those boundaries). He tells us He is all-powerful over fifty times in the Bible, and it is amazing to see how His sovereignty unites with the choices we make (both bad and good) to work out His perfect plan (Romans 8:28).

For those who are believers and suffering with sickness, illness, and/or disease in this life, the knowledge that they can glorify God through their suffering tempers the uncertainty as to why He has allowed it, something they may not truly understand until they stand in His presence in eternity. At that time, all questions will be answered, or perhaps more accurately, we will no longer care about the questions themselves.

[Mary Naeem]

أين الله؟





إذا كنت شخص يؤمن بالرب يسوع المسيح فالله موجود معك، وبجانبك، وفوقك، وفي داخلك. إن حضور الله وعنايته الساهرة عليك لا يتركانك أبداً. أما إن كنت لا تؤمن بالرب يسوع المسيح فالله أمامك يدعوك ويجذبك إليه ويقدم لك المحبة والنعمة والرحمة التي يتوق أن يمنحك إياها. إذا كنت غير متأكد من علاقتك مع الله من خلال يسوع المسيح أرجوك أن تقرأ مقالتنا عن "كيف أتصالح مع الله". ربما يكون السؤال الأنسب هنا هو "أين أنا في علاقتي مع الله؟" وليس "أين الله؟"

[Mary Naeem]

أين الله عندما أتألم؟




يبدو أننا نرغب في معرفة إجابة لهذا السؤال خاصة عندما تواجهنا تجارب مؤلمة وتهاجمنا الشكوك. حتى يسوع نفسه تساءل عند الصليب "إلهي إلهي لم تركتني؟" (متى 27: 46). فبالنسبة للحاضرين في ذلك الوقت والذين يقرأون هذه القصة لأول مرة يبدو وكأن الله قد تخلى عن يسوع وهكذا نعتقد أنه سيتخلى عنا أيضاً في أحلك اللحظات. ولكن عندما نستمر في دراسة الأحداث التي توالت بعد الصليب فإن الحقيقة تتكشف بأنه لا يوجد شيء يمكن أن يفصلنا عن محبة الله، ولا حتى الموت (رومية 8: 37-39). فلقد تمجد الرب يسوع بعد الصليب (بطرس الأولى 1: 21؛ مرقس 16: 6، 19؛ رومية 4: 24-25). من هذا المثال وحده يمكن أن نتأكد أنه حتى حين لا نشعر بوجود الله في وسط الألم يمكننا أن نثق في مواعيده بأنه لن يتركنا أو يهملنا (عبرانيين 13: 5). تقول جوني إيركسون تادا: "الله أحيانا يسمح بما يكرهه حتى يحقق ما يحبه."

نحن نبني ثقتنا على حقيقة أن الله لا يكذب، ولا يتغير، وأن كلمته أمينة إلى الأبد (عدد 23: 19؛ صموئيل الأول 15: 29؛ مزمور 110: 4؛ ملاخي 3: 6؛ عبرانيين 7: 21؛ 13: 8؛ يعقوب 1: 17؛ بطرس الأولى 1: 25). إننا لا نحبط في الظروف المؤلمة لأننا نعيش بالإيمان في كل كلمة خرجت من فم الله ولا نضع رجاؤنا في ما هو منظور او مفهوم. نحن نثق في الله بأن ضيقاتنا الوقتية الخفيفة تنتج لنا مجد أبدي يفوق كل معاناتنا التي نجتازها هنا على الأرض. لهذا نثبت أعيننا على ما لا يرى وليس على ما يرى لأننا نعلم ونؤمن أن ما يرى هو وقتي ولكن ما لا يرى أبدي (كورنثوس الثانية 4: 16-18؛ 5: 7). نحن أيضاً نثق في كلمة الله التي تقول أنه دائماً ما يجعل الأشياء تعمل معاً للخير للذين يحبونه، الذين هم مدعوون حسب قصده (رومية 8: 28). لهذا رغم عدم رؤيتنا للخير الذي يحرك الله الأمور تجاهه إلا أننا يمكن أن نثق أنه سيأتي وقت عندما نفهم الأمور بوضوح أكثر.

حياتنا تشبه لوحة من شغل الإبرة. إذا نظرت إلى الناحية الخلفية كل ما تراه هو مجموعة من العقد والخيوط المتدلية. إنها غير جذابة ولا يبدو أن هناك تنسيق أو شكل لهذه اللوحة. ولكن عندما تنظر إلى الناحية الأمامية ترى كيف أن الفنان نسج كل خيط بمهارة لكي يخلق شيئاً جميلاً وهذا يشبه حياة المؤمن (إشعياء 64: 8). نحن نعيش ولنا مفهوم محدود لأمور الله ولكن سيأتي اليوم الذي نعرف ونفهم فيه كل الأشياء (أيوب 37: 5؛ إشعياء 40: 28؛ جامعة 11: 5؛ كورنثوس الأولى 13: 12؛ يوحنا الأولى 3: 2). أين يكون الله عندما نتألم؟ الرسالة التي يجب أن تحملها معك في الظروف الصعبة هي أنه عندما لا تتمكن من رؤية يديه عليك أن تثق في قلبه وتتأكد تماماً أنه لم يهملك. عندما تخور قواك هذا هو الوقت الذي تستطيع أن تستريح تماماً في محضره عالماً أن قوته تكمل في ضعفك (كورنثوس الثانية 12: 9-10).

[Mary Naeem]

"Where is God now? Where is God when it hurts?"






Answer: The Bible teaches that God reigns over the nations from His holy throne in heaven (Psalm 47:8; Isaiah 6:1, 66:1; Hebrews 4:16). Even though we know that God’s presence is in some sense uniquely in heaven, the teachings of Scripture also make it clear that God is omnipresent (present everywhere at the same time). From the beginning of Scripture, we see the presence of God hovering over the earth, even when it was still formless and empty (Genesis 1:2). God filled the world with His creation, and His presence and glory continue to inhabit the whole earth (Numbers 14:21). There are many examples throughout Scripture of God’s presence moving on the earth, interacting with His creation (Genesis 3:8; Deuteronomy 23:14; Exodus 3:2; 1 Kings 19:11-18; Luke 1:35; Acts 16:7). Hebrews 4:13 says, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.” Jeremiah 23:24 exclaims, “‘Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?’ declares the Lord. ‘Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the Lord.” Psalm 139 is an amazing study in God’s omnipresence.

Where is God?


If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, God is with you, beside you, above you, and inside you. God’s presence and watchful care never leave you. If you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, God is right in front of you, inviting you, drawing you, offering you the love, mercy, and grace that He longs to give you. If you are unsure of your relationship with God through Jesus Christ, please read our article on how to “Get right with God.” Perhaps a better question than “Where is God?” is “Where are you, in relationship to God?”

Where is God when it hurts?





It seems we desire to know the answer to this question most when faced with painful trials and attacks of doubt. Even Jesus, during His crucifixion, asked, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). To the onlookers of that time, as well as to those who first read the story, it seems that God did forsake Jesus, so we obviously conclude that He will forsake us as well in our darkest moments. Yet, upon continued observation of the events that unfolded after the crucifixion, the truth is revealed that nothing can separate us from the love of God, not even death (Romans 8:37-39). After Jesus was crucified, He was glorified (1 Peter 1:21; Mark 16:6, 19; Romans 4:24-25). From this example alone we can be assured that even when we do not feel God’s presence in the midst of our pain, we can still believe His promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). “God sometimes permits what He hates to accomplish what He loves” (Joni Erickson Tada).

We put our trust in the fact that God does not lie, He never changes, and His Word stands true forever (Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29; Psalm 110:4; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 7:21; 13:8, James 1:17; 1 Peter 1:25). We do not lose heart over painful circumstances because we live by faith in every word that has proceeded from the mouth of God, not putting our hope in what is seen or perceived. We trust God that our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs all the suffering that we will endure on this earth. So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, because we know and believe that what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18; 5:7). We also trust God’s Word, which says He is constantly working things together for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Even though we do not always see the good ends to which God is working things out, we can be assured that a time will come when we will understand and see more clearly.

Our lives are like a quilt. If you look at the back side of a quilt, all you see is a mess of knots and loose ends hanging out all over. It is very unattractive, and there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the work. Yet when you turn the quilt over, you see how the maker has craftily woven together each strand to form a beautiful creation, much like the life of a believer (Isaiah 64:8). We live with a limited understanding of the things of God, yet a day is coming when we will know and understand all things (Job 37:5; Isaiah 40:28; Ecclesiastes 11:5; 1 Corinthians 13:12; 1 John 3:2). Where is God when it hurts? The message to take with you in hard times is that when you cannot see His hand, trust His heart, and know for certain that He has not forsaken you. When you seem to have no strength of your own, that is when you can most fully rest in His presence and know that His strength is made perfect in your weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).