Ben Fourie
If I went up to heaven, you would be there; if I lay down in the world of the dead, you would be there. If I flew away beyond the east or lived in the farthest place in the west, you would be there to lead me, you would be there to help me. Psalm 139:8-10, GNT
The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father’s only Son. John 1:14, GNT
If the concept of God as almighty or all-knowing is difficult to comprehend, the idea that he is omnipresent is even more difficult to understand for me. The word is not used as such in the Bible, but we can clearly derive it from various scriptures in the Bible.
My old Penguin English Dictionary defines omnipresent as: “present everywhere at once”. An internet search gave basically the same meaning for the word. When I narrowed the search to ask what it means that God is omnipresent, I found the following: “Since God's power and knowledge extend to all parts of his creation, he himself is present everywhere. God is capable of being everywhere at the same time. It means his divine presence encompasses the whole of the universe”. This is a very difficult concept to grapple with.
The poet of this Psalm describes God’s omnipresence beautifully. To him, God is not only present everywhere in the here and now, but he reaches beyond all boundaries to that which is still hidden from us, like heaven and the world of the dead. It is evident that time and space in the here and now are also important, as conveyed by the scripture portion, “If I flew away beyond the east or lived in the farthest place in the west, you would be there to lead me, you would be there to help me.” Heaven or death, east or west; even if I do not really understand how it can be, the Bible tells me that God is always very close to me.
How close you may ask. The Gospel according to John tells us: “The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us.”
Prayer: Dear Lord, we want to pray the words of a song that says, ‘God is always near me, hearing what I say, knowing all my thoughts and deeds, all my work and play. God is always near me; in the darkest night. He can see me just the same as by mid-day light.’ Thank you, Lord, for being so near to us every moment of every day. Amen
Ben Fourie
Klim ek op na die hemel, is U daar, gaan lê ek in die doderyk, is U ook daar. Vlieg ek na die ooste, of gaan woon ek in die verre weste, ook daar lei u hand my, hou u regterhand my vas. Psalm 139: 8-10, 1983-vertaling
Die Woord het mens geword en onder ons kom woon. Ons het sy heerlikheid gesien, die heerlikheid wat Hy as die enigste Seun van die Vader het, vol genade en waarheid. Johannes 1 vers 14: “
Al is dit vir ons as mense maar bra moeilik om werklik 'n begrip te hê van die almag van God, of die feit dat Hy alwetend is, is die idee van God se alomteenwoordigheid amper nog moeiliker om te verstaan. Die woord kom nie eers in die Bybel voor nie. Ons lei die gedagte maar af van sekere teksverse.
My ou woordeboek sê: “oral op dieselfde tyd aanwesig” en Christelike Media se webwerf definieer dit as: “Afstand en plek het vir Hom geen betekenis nie. Hy is oral, Hy is die God wat elke ding vul, maar nie deur hulle ingesluit word nie.” 'n Ander webwerf, genaamd GotQuestions, sê: “om teenwoordig te wees in alle vorme van tyd en ruimte”.
Wat sou al hierdie definisies en gedagtes my in my geloof help? Al die dinge is vir my belangrik omdat dit my opnuut aan die dink sit oor die grootheid van God, maar as ons na die twee teksverse van vandag kyk, sien ons dat dit oor meer gaan. Al verstaan ek nie heeltemal hoe dit werk nie, is dit uiters belangrik om dit te glo soos wat die Bybel dit vir ons vertel.
Die digter van hierdie psalm beskryf vir my God se alomteenwoordigheid nie net in beeldryke taal nie, maar ook as iets wat vir my sin maak. God se alomteenwoordigheid is nie net hier en nou nie, maar strek oor grense heen wat nog vir ons verborge is, dinge soos hemel en doderyk. Tog omsluit dit ook die hier en nou van plek en ruimte: “vlieg ek na die ooste of gaan woon ek in die verre weste”. En dan kom die eintlike groot “definisie” wat my lewe persoonlik raak: “ook daar lei u hand my, hou u regterhand my vas”. Hemel of doderyk, ooste of weste, God is baie naby aan my.
Hoe naby, sou ek kon vra. Op dié vraag gee Johannes die antwoord wanneer hy skryf: “Die Woord het mens geword en onder ons kom woon ... vol genade en waarheid”.
Gebed: Baie dankie Here dat ons ook soos in die lied kan sê: "God is hier teenwoordig, laat ons biddend nader." Dankie dat U reeds teenwoordig was nog voor die ontstaan van tyd en ruimte, maar tog ook teenwoordig is hier waar ek nou is. Amen
Ben Fourie
Great and mighty is our Lord; his wisdom cannot be measured. Psalm 147:5, GNT
If our conscience condemns us, we know that God is greater than our conscience and that he knows everything.And so, my dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have courage in God's presence. 1 John 3:20-21, GNT
When we were children, we were told by adults not to be naughty, not to use foul language and not think bad thoughts because God is omniscient. Although we did not know the full meaning of the word, we understood that it meant God knows everything we do and say. We were even told that everything you’ve ever did or said will be written in a book, and when you die, you will have to explain what was written down.
The word omniscient does not appear anywhere in the Bible. It is a word that people created to explain a very important characteristic of God. I referred to the Internet to find a definition of the word and found: “a state of possessing all the knowledge there is or the quality to know all”.
The idea that God knows everything can sometimes be frightening. Many people see God as very strict, someone who is constantly trying to catch us out at the smallest misstep. Surely, the Bible does warn us not to keep trespassing, but that is only part of the story. Yes, God does know about all we do and think.
But in Psalm 147 we read that his unmeasurable knowledge and his omniscience is coupled to his greatness and omnipotence. Although God knows about my wrongdoings, he is so compassionate and almighty that he can and will forgive me, as is demonstrated by Jesus when he died on the cross for us. That is what John meant when he said that even when our conscience condemns us, “we have courage in God’s presence”. God is greater than our conscience because he is all-knowing.
We cannot hide anything from God, and it is really not necessary to try.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we know that you know everything about us, and we want to thank you that as your redeemed children, we can praise you for knowing all about us. Thank you for also knowing when we are sad and worried. Amen
Ben Fourie
Ons Here is groot en magtig, sy kennis is onbegrens. Psalm 147:5, 1983-vertaling
As ons gewete ons veroordeel – God is groter as ons gewete, en Hy weet alles. 1 Johannes 3:20, 1983-vertaling
As kinders moes ons dikwels hoor dat ons nie moet stout wees, of lelik praat, of lelike goed dink nie, want God is alwetend. Alhoewel ons nie die woord geken het nie, het ons darem verstaan dat God van alles wat jy doen of sê, weet. Ons het selfs gehoor dat alles wat ʼn mens sê of doen in ʼn groot boek geskryf word en as jy die dag doodgaan, sal jy moet gaan verduidelik oor dit alles.
Die woord “alwetend” kom nêrens in die Bybel voor nie, maar is ʼn woord wat geskep en veral op God van toepassing gemaak word om ʼn baie belangrike kenmerk van Hom te wys. ʼn Internet definisie sê: “die vermoë om oor alle kennis te beskik, die kwaliteit om alles te weet.”
ʼn Mens kan die feit dat God alles weet soms baie negatief sien. Dan word God iemand wat gedurig oor jou skouer loer om te sien of jy nie iewers ʼn misstappie begaan nie. Die Bybel waarsku ons natuurlik ernstig dat ons nie maar willens en wetens net kan aangaan om kwaad te doen nie, want dit bly natuurlik nie vir God verborge nie.
Wanneer ons egter na ons teksvers uit Psalm 147 kyk, word sy onbegrensde kennis, met ander woorde sy alwetendheid, gekoppel aan sy grootheid en almag. Hierdie twee lees ek altyd as baie positief. Al weet God ook van my sonde, is Hy so groot en almagtig dat Hy my kan en wil vergewe, soos wat aan die kruis deur Christus bewys is. Johannes brei op hierdie gedagte uit wanneer hy ons daarvan bewus wil maak dat al kla ons gewete ons aan oor dit wat ons verkeerd doen, God groter is as ons gewete juis omdat Hy alles weet.
Ons kan niks vir God wegsteek nie, maar gelukkig hoef ons ook niks vir Hom weg te steek nie.
Gebed: Hemelse Vader, waar ons op ʼn stadium in ons lewe dalk bang was dat U alles van ons weet, kan ons as u verloste kinders vandag dankie sê dat U juis alles van ons weet, ook van ons hartseer, ons pyne en probleme. Amen
Ruanne van Zyl
Wees veral versigtig met wat in jou hart omgaan, want dit bepaal jou hele lewe. Spreuke 4:23, 1983-vertaling
Die hart waarvan hierdie vers praat, is nie net emosies nie, maar die sentrum van ons gedagtes, begeertes en motiewe. Alles wat ons doen, begin hier. Daarom sê God ons moet dit “veral versigtig” bewaak.
Ons harte word daagliks beïnvloed deur wat ons sien, hoor en oor dink. Negatiewe woorde, vergelyking met ander, vrees en bitterheid kan stil-stil wortelskiet. As ons dit nie aanspreek nie, begin dit ons houding en optrede beheer. 'n Onbewaakte hart lei tot 'n onrustige lewe.
Om jou hart te bewaak, beteken nie om koud of afgesluit te wees nie. Dit beteken om doelbewus te kies wat jy toelaat om jou binneste te vorm. Dit vra dat ons gereeld ons gedagtes aan God se waarheid toets. Wanneer leuens soos “ek is nie goed genoeg nie” of “niks sal verander nie” opkom, moet ons dit vervang met wat God sê.
'n Gesonde hart bring lewe. Dit lei tot geduld, liefde en wysheid in moeilike situasies. Wanneer ons hart vol vrede is, reageer ons anders op druk en konflik. Die kwaliteit van ons lewe word dus direk beïnvloed deur die toestand van ons binneste wêreld.
God is nie net geïnteresseerd in ons dade nie, maar in wat dit dryf. Wanneer ons Hom toelaat om ons harte te reinig en te vernuwe, verander Hy ons van binne na buite.
Gebed: Here, wys my wat in my hart nie van U af kom nie. Help my om my gedagtes te vul met u waarheid en my hart te bewaak sodat my lewe U eer. Amen.