As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links. See my full disclosures, Terms of Use, and privacy policies on my "privacy" page. I never recommend a product I don't love.
Keep reading for a God is omnipresent object lesson that’s super simple and kids will love to replicate!
“How can I know God is there when I can’t see him?”
My son’s honest-but-tough 4-year old question stumped me. How can we really trust that God is there when we can’t see him?
It’s hard for kids to understand that God is everywhere, all the time, especially since we can’t see him at all. To be honest, most adults can’t grasp this either!
It’s unfortunate that God is invisible, isn’t it? If we could see him, it sure would clear up a lot of questions. Unfortunately, that is not the way God has chosen to make himself known in the world. So he’s invisible, but he’s also everywhere. The fancy word for “God is everywhere” is “omnipresent”.
Here is a great object lesson you can use to help your kids understand how God is omnipresent even if we can’t see him, and a book to show you that he’s not just THERE, he also CARES.
A simple object lesson can be a powerful tool in your parents toolbox because it helps kids understand a deep concept without an intense theological discussion. The object lesson helps a tough idea make sense!
A book can also be an object lesson too, which is the case with the book I recommend below. Pair the book and the object lesson together for a powerful discussion with your child on the omnipresence of God!
God is omnipresent object lesson
To help your kids (and even the adults around you!) recognize that something invisible can still be all around us, you can do this very simple object lesson with air.
You can watch me do it in the video, or read through the instructions below!
SUGGESTED AGES: 4-10
SUPPLIES:
- piece of paper
- a glass cup
- a deep bucket
- water
First, ask the kids if there’s anything in the cup. If you have a real smart aleck, they might say there’s air in the cup, but most kids will say there’s nothing.
Say: I am going to prove that there is something in this cup, something you can’t see or touch or smell!
You can write a secret message on the paper if you wish, or just leave it blank. Then, crumple up the piece of paper. Stuff it into the bottom of the cup. Make sure it stays when you hold the cup upside down.
Say: I am going to completely dip this cup in the water, and the paper is going to stay dry because there’s SOMETHING in there that is going to protect the paper.
Next, submerse the cup completely in the water, but make sure to hold the cup straight up and down.
Pull it out, and check the paper. Is it dry? It should be!
Ask your child if they know what protected the paper. By now they should have figured out that it was the air! Even though the cup seemed to be empty, it actually wasn’t. There was air in there the whole time.
SAY: Just like the air in that cup was there the whole time, God is everywhere, all the time. We can’t see him, just like we couldn’t see the air in the cup. But he is with us and cares for us, just like the air protected the paper in the top of the cup.
Take your lesson deeper with this book:
If you’d like something fun to add to this lesson, try Quinn’s Promise Rock.
In it, the little owl is worried that she’ll be left all alone if her dad flies away from her. He takes her to the top of a mountain and reminds her that just like the mountain is steady and secure, God is steady and secure too.
Then they get caught in a rainstorm and they take shelter in a cave. Quinn’s dad shares that just like the rock of the cave is protective, God is protective too.
Last, he picks up a pebble and shows Quinn that God is also like the tiny stone, because Quinn can take the pebble with her, just like she can take God with her wherever she goes.
Quinn learns that an invisible God is always with her, through the imagery of something visible: the rock.
This is just like what David says in Psalm 18:2:
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
Psalm 18:2 NIV
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Extra Resources:
- If you’d like a printable version of this object lesson, it is part of the Teacher’s Guide for Quinn’s Promise Rock. You can download that here!
2. Psalm 139 is a great psalm to study with your children to really understand God’s omnipresence. I have a 14-day child-friendly Bible study you can use in your home or with a small group of kids.
This is great, thank you! I bought Quinn’s Promise Rock a few months ago for my son who was worrying a lot and having a hard time sleeping. It was a game changer for him (and us!). Thank you 🙏🏼