Stonecroft Ministries Trinity Bible Study What is God like? series Lesson 3 to be translated for Pastors and women in Africa

(To be translated into various African languages)

Where is God?

Purpose of the Lesson
• Begin to understand more about where God is and what He is like
• Recognize God’s nearness and His continual presence
• Recognize His willingness to answer when we call

Prayer

Almighty God, we want to learn more about You. Help us understand the things we read in your Word each day. We need to know where You are when we call on You. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

Guide’s Comments

This lesson will stretch our minds, as we learn more about who God is and what
He is like.

His greatness is beyond our imagination. The human mind cannot even begin to
comprehend the awesomeness of God! Our God created everything that has being or existence.

The mysteries and exquisite detail involved in everything God created, even the minute detail in one human cell, is beyond our understanding. How can any human being even begin to understand the God who created all that magnificent detail? He is truly a majestic, all-knowing God.

But, mystery of mysteries, God tells us that He wants us to know Him! Therefore, we know it is possible to know about God because He reveals Himself through the pages of the Bible. The more we read and study the entire Bible and apply its truths to our daily living, the better we will know Him, and the more meaningful our fellowship with Him will be.

Each of the verses in our Weekly Bible Reading gave an answer to our question—where is God? We will take turns giving our answers to each question.

Weekly Bible Reading

(Use your Bible or Africa Bible Verse Handbook.)

Each day this week, read the Bible passage for the day and answer the question.

Psalm 34:18 Where is God when you need Him? . . . . .
(God is near people who have broken hearts.)

Psalm 103:19 Where is God’s throne? . . . . .
(God’s throne is in heaven.)

Psalm 145:18
What does this verse tell us about God? . . . . .
(God hears us when we call on Him in our need.)

Isaiah 37:16
Where does this verse say God dwells? . . . . .
(God dwells between the cherubim.)

Isaiah 40:22
What does this verse tell us about where God is? . . . . .
(God sits above the circle of the earth, in heaven.)

Isaiah 43:2
Where is God when you are in trouble? . . . . .
(God is with you, protecting you.)

Jeremiah 23:23
Where does God say He is all of the time? . . . . .
(God is near each one of us. He is never far away, we just fail to
recognize Him.)

* Select the verse from the Weekly Bible Reading which is the most meaningful to you at this time. Think about what that truth means to you personally and apply it to your life.

Which Bible verse was most meaningful to you?. . . . . How did it affect your week? Tell us what happened. . . . .

All the verses we have read so far in this lesson are from the Old Testament. To see what the New Testament says about where God is, look at Question 1.

1. Where does God live?
Read 1 Timothy 6:16. . . . . (He lives in light that no one can approach)

God is unapproachable because of the brightness of His supreme holiness and purity. In God’s presence, we would be uncomfortable and tremendously aware of our sinfulness. But since God knows we could not survive the brilliance of His pure light, He reveals Himself to us in ways which we can understand. For instance, His names reveal His character and personality. We learn how to draw near to God through the Book He has written—the Bible.

2. What does the Bible say about where God does not live?
a. Acts 17:24-25 . . . . .
(He does not live in manmade buildings.)

b.1 Kings 8:27 . . . . .
(Heaven and all space—“heaven of heavens”—is not big enough for Him!)

The Bible says God is not limited to living in buildings made for Him, or even limited to the “heaven of heavens,” which we would call space. In the light of what the Bible says, we must say that God does not “live” in the way we think of dwelling in a place.

God’s presence fills all the earth, all of heaven, and all of space. Since the space He made is unlimited, we know that God is even beyond space! Does that help you see what a great God He is?

God is with us, whether we are aware of it or not! Many times He takes care of our needs or keeps us from danger when we are not even aware of it.

Solomon, the king of Israel, built a magnificent temple to the Lord, but recognized that God could not be contained in a temple. His immensity is not limited to a place. He is present everywhere, but all things are not filled to the same degree.

“He does not dwell on earth as He does in heaven, in animals as He does in man, in the inorganic as He does in the organic creation, in the wicked as He does the [righteous], nor in the Church as He does in Christ.”

If God lives in unapproachable light and does not live in temples or buildings, what does 1 John 4:12, say about where He does live on earth? . . . . . (He lives in union with us.)

Since the book of First John was written to Christians, the “us” in verse 12 refers to people who believe in Jesus; those who have put their trust in Him.

Christian author A.W. Tozer, in speaking of the omnipresence of God said, “God is everywhere here, He is close to everything, next to everyone.”

Read Isaiah 57:15 ......in your Bible of Africa Bible Verse Handbook. This verse says that although God is completely unapproachable, He reaches down to lift up those who humble themselves before Him. God is above everyone. God is everywhere. There is no place we can hide from Him. Read Jeremiah 23:24 . . . . . God penetrates every aspect of our lives. Every place in all the universe and in all of space is filled with His presence.

While God is the Creator of all nature, He is not only the God of nature, but the God of all history. He controls and directs the affairs of all humanity. He is a real, divine person who gives Himself to those who desire a vital relationship with Him. Through Jesus Christ, God is immediately accessible to anyone who wants to come to Him.

4. Write about a time when you were aware of God’s presence or about a time when you were aware that God was doing something special for you. Be sure to include your reaction to this experience. . . . .
(Encourage each person to share.)

God wants to reveal truth about Himself to each of us. He allows things to come into our lives to get our attention, so we will know that we need a power beyond ourselves to live in this ever-changing, sin-filled world.

Read Romans 1:20. . . . .

God has revealed His invisible attributes, His eternal power, and His divine nature to all people through His creation. So people are without excuse, because the only way creation can be explained is to say that God made it.

God has revealed Himself to us in other ways besides the Bible and
creation. He reveals Himself to everyone through their consciences. The Bible says that all people have an innate knowledge of God. Read about it in Romans 2:15 . . . . .

One of the attributes of God which we mentioned in last week’s lesson was His omnipresence. Omni means “all,” so the word means God is present everywhere. God is not bound by space. God, in the total of His being, without being divided, multiplied, or defused, penetrates and fills the whole universe in all its parts. God is everywhere

5. How does the omnipresence of God comfort you when hardships come? . . . . .
(It should be a comfort to know that God is with you all the time no matter what happens. God knows what has happened and why. He also has the power to change things or make good come out of it.)

God will always be present in real and practical ways in our lives.

6. The following Bible verses give assurance of God’s presence. Read them, then memorize the one(s) that fits your situation or would be a help to someone you know.

God with Us

Exodus 33:14 . . . . .
The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Psalm 16:11 . . . . .
You make known to me the path of life;
You will fill me with joy in your presence,
With eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 21:6 . . . . .
Surely you have granted him unending blessings
And made him glad with the joy of your presence.

Psalm 31:20 . . . . .
In the shelter of your presence you hide them
From all human intrigues;
You keep them safe in your dwelling
From accusing tongues.

Psalm 46:1 . . . . .
God is our refuge and strength,
An ever-present help in trouble.

Psalm 89:15 . . . . .
Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
Who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.

Psalm 139:7-12 . . . . .
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
If I settle on the far side of the sea,
Even there your hand will guide me,
Your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
And the light become night around me,”
Even the darkness will not be dark to you;
The night will shine like the day,
For darkness is as light to you

John 14:3 . . . . .
And after I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am.

* If one of these verses would be a help or a comfort to someone you know, plan the best way to share it with that person. . . . .

Encourage everyone to tell the memory verse they chose and their plan to share that verse with others.

God wants to be with His people. God knows all things and He always expresses Himself to us in ways that are best for us. He is trustworthy.

The knowledge that we are never alone calms our fears and brings peace to our troubled hearts.

There is another place where God is which we have only implied up to this point. By His Spirit, He lives in the hearts and lives of those who have invited Him in.

When God created man, He breathed eternal life into him and man became a living being. This made man different from all the rest of His creation.

Read Genesis 2:7. . . . .
God’s plan is that people live with Him forever. But God gave Adam and Eve, the first humans, the power of choice. And they chose to disobey Him.

The consequence of disobeying God’s revealed will is death—eternal separation from God. Read Deuteronomy 30:19. . . . .

But Adam and Eve’s failure and disobedience did not change God’s plan. God had already provided a way for disobedience to be forgiven and for the sinner to be clean again. When we believe and accept the way God has prepared, we will live forever in fellowship with Him in the place He is preparing for us. Read 1 John 2:24-25 . . . . .

This gracious action on God’s part reveals more about what God is like. He loves His creation and in mercy, He has graciously provided the only way our relationship with Him can be restored.

Do you remember a time when you made the decision to ask Jesus Christ to come into your life? Have you yielded your life to Him? It is the most important choice we have to make. It is the difference between eternal life with God or apart from God.

We are going to live forever some place. We alone decide where that will be. Don’t postpone this important decision. God wants us to be with Him forever.

God’s presence in our lives makes it possible for us to live under His direction and carry out His purposes! His holy presence with sinful people demonstrates His love and grace.

7. Write your own prayer to God, expressing your gratitude for His continual presence. Remember that you will not be asked to share this prayer at the Bible study. Write your prayer here.

In this lesson, we have learned about God’s continual presence in our individual lives. Next week we will learn that God knows each of us personally and loves us intimately.

Closing Prayer

O God, we are overwhelmed by your majesty! How can we ever know the fullness of who You are? You are hidden in light—which cannot be approached. What You are is beyond our ability to express. The Bible plainly tells us that You want us to know You. As we study this next week, open our eyes to see new truths. We worship You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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