“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” ~ A.W. Tozer (The Knowledge of the Holy)
What do you think about when you first think about God?
Many people will say, “God is love.” Others would say, “God is holy.” Still, others would say, “God hates me.” Your answer to that question depends upon what your view of God is.
Your view of God determines your walk in life! It will permeate every area of your life from your finances – to your health – to your relationships and everything in between.
If you view God to be non-existent, then you will live as if He does not exist. If you believe that He exists, but does not really care about what goes on in our lives, then you will live your life accordingly. But if you truly believe with all of your heart that He loves you with a holy, redemptive love, then you will worship Him with all that you are.
Has your view of the Creator of the world been so casual, so simple, and so not accurate? Have you forgotten how HUGE and HOLY and BEYOND our understanding He is?
I encourage you to get to know Him again!
Here a few attributes to help get you started:
He is Faithful. Everything that God has promised will come to pass. His faithfulness guarantees this fact. He does not lie. What He has said in the Bible about Himself is true. Jesus even said that He is the Truth. This is extremely important for the followers of Jesus because it is on His faithfulness that our hope of eternal life rests. He will honor His promise that our sins will be forgiven and that we will live forever with Him.
He is Love. Love is such an important part of God’s character that John wrote, “God is love.” This means that God holds the well-being of others as His primary concern. For a full definition of love, read 1 Corinthians 13. To see love in action, study the life of Jesus. His sacrifice on the cross for the sins of others is the ultimate act of love. God’s love is not a love of emotion but of action. His love gives freely to the object of its affection, those who choose to follow His son Jesus.
He is Justice. The Bible says that God is JUST, but it is His character that defines what being JUST really is. He does not conform to some outside criteria. Being just brings moral equity to everyone. When there are evil acts, justice demands there be a penalty. Since God is perfect and has never done evil, no penalty would ever be necessary; however, because of His love, God paid the penalty for our evil deeds by going to the cross Himself. His justice needed to be satisfied, but He took care of it for all who will believe in Jesus.
He is Mercy. “Mercy is the attribute of God which disposes Him to be actively compassionate.” Since God’s justice is satisfied in Jesus, He is free to show mercy to all those who have chosen to follow Him. It will never end since it is a part of God’s nature. Mercy is the way He desires to relate to mankind, and He does so unless the person chooses to despise or ignore God at which time His justice becomes the prominent attribute.
He is Goodness. “The goodness of God is that which disposes Him to be kind, cordial, benevolent, and full of good will toward men.” This attribute of God is why He bestows all the blessing He does on His followers. God’s actions define what goodness is, and we can easily see it in the way Jesus related to the people around Him.
He is Omnipresent. This theological term means “always present.” Since God is infinite, His being knows no boundaries. So, clearly He is everywhere. This truth is taught throughout the Bible as the phrase “I am with you always” is repeated 22 times in both the Old and New Testaments. These were even Jesus’ words of assurance just after giving the challenge to His disciples to take His message to the entire world. This is certainly a comforting truth for all who follow Jesus. My definition… He’s never too busy for me!
These are just some! After learning these, dig into more for yourself. Find out all the hundreds of names for Him, they are also definitions of who He is.
Names like:
Elohim (or Elohay) = the first name for God found in the Bible (used in the O.T. over 2,300 times). Elohim comes from the Hebrew root meaning “strength” or “power”. It also means God as Creator, Preserver & Transcendent.
El Shaddai = “God all sufficient” and “Lord God Almighty”.
And my very favourites ones that I had understanding and revelation about as a young age…
Jehovah-Jireh = “The Lord will provide”
Jehovah-Rophe (or Rapha) = “The Lord who heals”, emotional and physical healing.
We need to start thinking about Him in His words.
If you read Isa. 55:8-9 out of the Message it says, “I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Decree. “For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think.”
