Fleeing from God
“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.” Psalm 139.7-11
Have you ever been followed? It’s generally not a good feeling when you think someone is out there tracing your steps – keeping a watch over you.
The writer of the Proverbs reminds us: “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.” (Proverbs 28.1) In the dark of night or in a strange situation, our minds race to and fro thinking of a means of protection or, most probably, an avenue of escape. We fear because our hearts are desperately wicked and filled with deceit. (Jeremiah 17.9) The fight or flight stimulus kicks in because our sense of aloneness is heightened and our thoughts become filled with dread.
Someone once offered the following illustration. Imagine yourself in a strange city – walking through some deserted streets and lanes. You’re lost and have no phone and no protection. Imagine as you turn to go down a narrow dead end lane in a rather seedy area and you look behind you and see four large men dressed roughly and cantering in a sinister gait. As they approach your heart beat races and nearly throbs out of your chest. At that point, would it make you feel any better to notice that each one was carrying a Bible?
The Psalmist cries out, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?” Even though we live in a rather frightening world, we are never out of our Savior’s view. We can neither walk (“go”) far enough to remove ourselves from His care, nor can we run (“flee”) fast enough to escape Him. No matter what the situation is, the follower of Christ will never be abandoned by God – he will never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13.5) Even when we feel the loneliest, we are never alone.
In these verses we are shown practical examples of the omnipresence (“the ability to be ‘present everywhere at the same time,’ referring to an unbounded or universal presence”) of God.
“If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” No matter how high or how low we might go, God is there already.
“If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” Time and distance lays no boundaries to the watch-care of our God. In and through every time zone and beyond, He is watching and protecting.
“If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.” Even when our eyes fail us as darkness enfolds our path, our God is not affected. “Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.” (Psalm 139.12)
Having neither beginning nor ending – existing outside of time and beyond the walls of His creation – God is not only the Master of all creation, He is also the Creator and Controller of all creation. We can safely trust in Him anywhere – any time – and in any situation.
It is beyond His nature to abandon His children. You are never alone! Why would we want to flee from His presence? Copyright © 2025 Dr. John H. Hill, All rights reserved.
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