THE NATURE OF GOD

It would be downright foolish to say, or think, that we could ever come close to fully understanding the nature of our great and mighty God. Read the Bible through just once and you’ll come away with a very real sense of how much higher His thoughts and His ways are than ours.

However, in His very own written Word, He directs Paul to pray that we will “increase in the knowledge of God.” So, if you put two and two together, we can conclude that even though we will never know Him and His ways completely, we can learn a whole lot more than we might think we can.

When I first read that little phrase in the middle of Paul’s prayer years ago, I started thinking, “Where’s a good place to start?” I settled in Isaiah. As I read, every time there was a mention of God using a different name, I wrote it at the top of the page. Amazing! That right there was eye opening.

Every staggering story in the Old Testament reveals part of the nature of God. Creation: In the beginning, He brought order out of chaos. Noah: God frowns on violence and shows grace to those who believe Him. Joseph: God is always in the process of bringing about His purposes, sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly, but always deliberately.

Red Sea: God often does things big so that there is no doubt that it is He who has done it. Esther: Sometimes it seems like all is lost, but God, not in a hurry and not nervous, does what needs to be done at the last minute. Moses: God is intimate with those who seek Him and are intricately involved in His plan. King Ahaz: No one can divide what God says will not be divided. King Hezekiah: God loves when people run to Him in the time of trouble. King David: Part of God’s perfect and unalterable character is to forgive and continue to love and use the offender. Jonah: Whom the Lord loves He chastens…and tracks down.

Repetitious statements throughout the Bible teach us God’s nature: He is compassionate, He is forgiving, He is loving, He hates pride, He loves contrition, He listens for the cry of His children…and on and on.

Are you hungry to know Him more? The Psalmist says, “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him.” Do you feel like a dirty, rotten scoundrel and wonder if you can go to the Lord for forgiveness? “God take pleasure in those who hope in His mercy.” He takes pleasure!!!

What I believe is that what I read about the nature of God in His Word is exactly what I can count on today. God does not and cannot change. Dig deep to learn His nature and how He acts and reacts in different situations…and you will find Him incredibly sufficient for all your needs!