In the gospel of John, Jesus is talking to a woman who came to a well. It says that Jesus spoke to her asking for water (John 4:7). Then came a long discussion about where the place was that it was appropriate to worship God. Jesus replied to her that God is Spirit and those who worship Him, must worship in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24). I was thinking about what this means that God is spirit.
The last few weeks, there have been a lot of football games on television. It isn't uncommon for there to be a hundred thousand people gathered for one game. A lot of times you will see pictures taken from a blimp from the sky looking down on the stadium. The people simply look like dots on the ground. When I see a picture like that, I think to myself that all those people and God knows each one of them. God not only knows them, but knows even how many hairs are on each head (Luke 12:7). God not only knows those people, but everyone else as well. God not only sees them, but sees everyone else as well, whether hidden or in plain sight, God sees it all.
God can do this because God is in infinite, but also because God is spirit (Jeremiah 23:23-24). In other words, He isn't limited to time and space and a body. He sees what is happening on distant stars that our satellite and telescopes can't even see, but also sees you and me. Not only does he see us, but he sees our motives and intentions and our hearts. He sees it all in a moment in time, with no review needed, no pondering, no doubt, no questioning. How in the world God can keep track of the almost 6 billion people in the world is something only God knows. But, part of my point here, is that God is not like us. God doesn't have the same limitations that we do. That God doesn't get sleepy or tired or was out shopping and not paying attention.
I have a tendency to think of God as a person to the point that I limit him sometimes. But, though he is friend, he is also transcendant over all. Though he is an active part in redeeming mankind, he is not a man. His ways are infinitely higher than mine as much as the heaven are over the earth (Isaiah 55:8-9).
