Experiencing the Presence of the Almighty Creator
The experience of the presence of the Almighty Creator is a central theme in biblical thought, rooted in the understanding of God as the origin and sustainer of all things [5, 11]. This presence is often described in terms of God's power, majesty, and intimate knowledge of creation [1, 8, 10].
The Bible consistently portrays God as the Creator, distinguishing Him from all other beings [5]. Passages like Genesis 1:1 declare that "In the beginning God created... the heaven and the earth" [11]. This creative act is attributed to the Godhead, including the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit [5]. John Gill, commenting on Revelation 11:17, identifies Jesus Christ as "Lord God Almighty," whose works include creation, preservation, and redemption [6]. Similarly, Adam Clarke notes that God, as "your Maker," created the world and humanity in His own image [7]. This foundational role as Creator establishes God's ultimate authority and power, making His presence a matter of profound awe [10].
The presence of the Almighty Creator is not merely a theological concept but an experienced reality for believers. The psalmist expresses a deep longing for this experience, crying out, "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?" [4]. This yearning reflects a desire for direct communion with the divine. Matthew Henry emphasizes God's omnipresence and omniscience, stating that "heaven and earth include the whole creation, and the Creator fills both" [8]. This means that God is always present and intimately aware of all things, including the thoughts and ways of individuals [8].
The experience of God's presence can evoke both reverence and fear. The author of Hebrews warns, "A fearful thing [it is] to fall into the hands of a Living God!" [3]. This fear is not one of terror but of profound respect for God's ultimate power and justice. However, God's presence is also a source of comfort and guidance. Daniel testifies to the "signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me," indicating a personal and active involvement of God in human affairs [1].
Access to the Creator's presence is understood to be mediated through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Adam Clarke, in his commentary on Ephesians 2:18, explains that "through him [Christ Jesus], we both - Jews and Gentiles, have access by one Spirit - through the influence of the Holy Ghost, unto the Father - God Almighty" [9]. This highlights the Trinitarian nature of experiencing God's presence, where Christ introduces believers to the Father, and the Holy Spirit enables this access [9]. The "grace of the Lord Jesus Christ" is described as bringing "favor and beneficence" and distributing "Divine unction which enlightens, comforts, harmonizes, and purifies the mind" [7]. This suggests that experiencing God's presence involves spiritual transformation and a deeper understanding of His nature.
The recognition of God as Creator also serves as a testament to His uniqueness and power. Isaiah 41:20 states that the purpose of God's actions is "that they may see, know, consider, and understand together, that the hand of Yahweh has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it" [2]. This underscores that the act of creation is a definitive marker of the true God [5]. Therefore, experiencing the presence of the Almighty Creator is to encounter the very source of existence, whose power and wisdom are evident in the created order and whose Spirit actively engages with humanity [2, 5, 9].
Sources
- Daniel “Daniel 4:2 (BSB) — I am pleased to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.”
- Isaiah “that they may see, know, consider, and understand together, that the hand of Yahweh has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it. -- Isaiah 41:20”
- Hebrews “Hebrews 10:31 (Rotherham) — A fearful thing [it is] to fall into the hands of a Living God!”
- Psalms “Psalms 42:2 (LITV) — My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Creation — "In the beginning" God created, i.e., called into being, all things out of nothing. This creative act on the part of God was absolutely free, and for infinitely wise reasons. The cause of all things exists only in the will of God. The work of creation is attributed (1) to the Godhead (Gen. 1:1, 26); (2) to the Father (1 Cor. 8:6); (3) to the Son (John 1:3; Col. 1:16, 17); (4) to the Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:2; Job 26:13; Ps. 104:30). The fact that he is the Creator distinguishes Jehovah as the true God (Isa. 37:16; 40:12, 13; 54:5; Ps. 96:5; Jer. 10:11, 12). Th”
- Revelation (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Revelation 11:17: Saying, we give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty,.... The person addressed is the Lord Jesus Christ, whose the kingdoms are become, and who now reigns in great power and authority; he is Lord of all, and truly and properly God, and the Almighty, as his works of creation, preservation, redemption, raising himself from the dead, &c. declare; and each of these titles exceedingly well suit him, when his visible kingdom on earth will be so greatly enlarged: which art, and wast, and art to come: the everlasting, "I am", the unchangeable Jehovah: the phrase is express”
- 2 Corinthians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 2 Corinthians 13:14: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ - All the favor and beneficence that come from and through the Redeemer of the world; as the Lord, the ruler and governor of all things; as Jesus, the Savior of all men by his passion and death; as Christ, the distributer of all that Divine unction which enlightens, comforts, harmonizes, and purifies the mind. May this most exalted, glorious, and all-sufficient Savior, be ever with you! And the love of God - God, your Maker, in that infinite love which induced him to create the world, and form man in his own image and in hi”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 139:7: It is of great use to us to know the certainty of the things wherein we have been instructed, that we may not only believe them, but be able to tell why we believe them, and to give a reason of the hope that is in us. David is sure that God perfectly knows him and all his ways, I. Because he is always under his eye. If God is omnipresent, he must needs be omniscient; but he is omnipresent; this supposes the infinite and immensity of his being, from which follows the ubiquity of his presence; heaven and earth include the whole creation, and the Creator fills both ”
- Ephesians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Ephesians 2:18: For through him - Christ Jesus, we both - Jews and Gentiles, have access by one Spirit - through the influence of the Holy Ghost, unto the Father - God Almighty. This text is a plain proof of the holy Trinity. Jews and Gentiles are to be presented unto God the Father; the Spirit of God works in their hearts, and prepares them for this presentation; and Jesus Christ himself introduces them. No soul can have access to God but by Jesus Christ, and he introduces none but such as receive his Holy Spirit. All who receive that Spirit are equally dear to him; and, whatev”
- Ezekiel (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Ezekiel 10:1: To inspire us with a holy awe and dread of God, and to fill us with his fear, we may observe, in this part of the vision which the prophet had, I. The glorious appearance of his majesty. Something of the invisible world is here in the visible, some faint representations of its brightness and beauty, some shadows, but such as are no more to be compared with the truth and substance than a picture with the life; yet here is enough to oblige us all to the utmost reverence in our thoughts of God and approaches to him, if we will but admit the impressions this discover”
- Genesis (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Genesis 1:1: In these verses we have the work of creation in its epitome and in its embryo. I. In its epitome, Gen 1:1, where we find, to our comfort, the first article of our creed, that God the Father Almighty is the Maker of heaven and earth, and as such we believe in him. 1. Observe, in this verse, four things: - (1.) The effect produced - the heaven and the earth, that is, the world, including the whole frame and furniture of the universe, the world and all things therein, Act 17:24. The world is a great house, consisting of upper and lower stories, the structure stately”