The Transcendence and Immanence of God: God Fills Heaven and Earth

Scripture

“Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.” — Jeremiah 23:23-24

Reflection

The opening question of this passage pierces to the heart of God’s nature, demanding our attention like Ehud’s dagger. As I spent time meditating, mulling, and praying over this verse, I was continually drawn back to its opening statement—discovering in it the thread uniting the repeated phrase, “declares the Lord.” Here, transcendence and immanence are not competing truths, but rather, the varied ends of a single theological chord. God’s transcendence means He is fundamentally distinct from and above the created order, yet His immanence assures us He is present in every aspect of it. The line between these doctrines blurs: if God were not far above creation, He could not, by definition, fill it so completely. He cannot be one without the other.

I believe God’s rhetorical question—“Am I a God at hand [merely]… and not a God far away?”—ties these realities together in a way that both challenges and comforts us.

Application

Pastorally, I take great comfort in this truth. The prophet’s words come to the Southern Kingdom of Judah just before the Babylonian exile, at a time when comfort was desperately needed. God’s message was clear: His presence was not confined to the Promised Land or the temple. Nor was it limited to wherever His people might find themselves, whether by their own wandering or by the force of their captors. God was—He is—already present in every place they (and we) could ever be.

There is no hiding from His watchful, loving eye. No darkness is too thick, no exile too distant. Only the God who transcends time and space could fill every corner of creation—every moment, every space—with His fullness, all at once. And only a God who delights to love, discipline, and redeem His people would remind them that the place they fear most is already saturated with His presence.

Prayer

Lord, thank You that You are both infinitely beyond us and intimately near. When we feel exiled by circumstance, sorrow, or our own wandering hearts, remind us that we are never beyond the reach of Your love or the breadth of Your sovereignty. Help us rest in the truth that You fill heaven and earth—so there is no place, physical or spiritual, where You are not already waiting with open arms. Amen.

Going Deeper

Take intentional time this week to confront the places in your life—whether physical, emotional, or spiritual—where you tend to feel most alone, hidden, or overwhelmed. Perhaps it’s a habit or thought you keep in the shadows, a relationship marred by distance, a sorrow that feels beyond comfort, or a circumstance that seems to exile you from hope.

Step 1: Identify and Name Your “Exile”

·         Journal or quietly reflect on a place, situation, or feeling where God’s presence seems farthest away or hardest to find.

·         Name that “exile” before God honestly and without self-censorship.

Step 2: Practice the Presence

·         In that very place or moment, invite God’s presence by praying aloud or in your heart: “Lord, thank You that You are both infinitely beyond and intimately near. Fill this place with Your presence.”

·         Read Jeremiah 23:23-24 slowly, pausing after each line to meditate on what it means for God to fill even this space or situation.

Step 3: Embody the Reality

·         Take a practical step to live as if God is already present there: reach out to someone with honesty, confess a hidden struggle, bring light into a dark place, or simply rest in stillness, trusting that you are not alone.

Step 4: Share

·         At the end of the week, look back: How did experiencing or acknowledging God’s presence in your “exile” shift your perspective, emotions, or actions?

·         Consider sharing your journey with a trusted friend, mentor, or faith community.

Make it a point to not merely intellectually assent to God’s transcendence and immanence, but to seek and expect His presence precisely in those places where you have felt most abandoned or unseen. Let your “exile” become the very space where you discover He was waiting, arms open, all along.