Relating to God, who we often cannot see or hear, can be difficult. But as we get to know Him, we can grow closer to Him.  The more we get to know Him, the more we can see and hear Him. But who is He? The Bible is His word and it tells us who He is.

God is Love

The bible tells us that God is Love (1 John 4:8). This love is not the same love as what we see in the world. This love is kind, patient, does not envy or boast, is not arrogant or rude, is not irritable or resentful, it does not rejoice in wrong but rejoices in the truth and this love never ends (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). God loves with an all-giving, selfless, unconditional love. He loves us so much that He gave His only son to die for us even when we rejected Him (John 3:16) (1 John 4:10). He saved us from eternal destruction because of love. Salvation shows His loving character.

God is the Same Always

God was, is and will always be the same (Hebrews 13:8). It is reassuring to know that He is faithful and dependable (Psalm 138:2) (1 Timothy 2:13). We can depend on Him to stand by His promises (Philippians 1:6), and to be a righteous God. God is not partial and takes no bribes (Deuteronomy 10:17-18) (Romans 2:11). We cannot buy His love and affection; we are given it freely. When life does not go the way we want, we tend to think that God is unfair. However, we should remind ourselves that God is good, He is fair, and all things work together for good to them that love the Lord (Romans 8:28). Even when things are not going the way we hope, we should trust in the Lord. Psalm (Psalm 18:30) tells us that God’s way is perfect. He knows what’s best for us even when we cannot see it.

God is Good

Our God is good, and He has no evil in Him. The Bible tells us that God is light and in Him, there is no darkness (1 John 1:5). He is holy which means He is blameless, righteous and set apart (1 Peter 1:16). He gives us good gifts (James 1:17) such as the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness and faith (Galatians 5:22). When we are presented with temptation, God is good to us and He provides a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). We can depend on Him to help us to overcome. But be aware that like any good father He gets angry with us when we are disobedient and stubborn. However, be comforted by the fact that the Lord’s anger does not last long and that this is for our benefit (Psalms 30:5).

God is Merciful and Forgiving

God forgives our sins and heals our disease. He redeems us from eternal destruction and is merciful and gracious. He is slow to anger, long-suffering and has removed our transgressions (Psalm 103) (Micah 7:18-19) (Exodus 34:6-7). God teaches us to forgive others as He has forgiven us (Colossians 3:13). He tells us to forgive others seventy times seven, just as we are also forgiven so many times by Him. God does not get weary with us (Isaiah 40:28). The Bible tells us that God does not delay in fulfilling His promises but is patient for us to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). However, this does not mean He will wait on us forever.

God is the Protector

God is our protector. He is the most powerful God who can overcome anything that comes against us so that we do not have to be afraid. He is our strength and our help (Isaiah 41:10). God is a shield for those who take refuge in Him (Psalm 18:30). He promises to never leave or forsake us, and He reassures us that He is with us always (Deuteronomy 31:6). Even when we cannot see our God physically, we can remind ourselves that He is our protector and He is able to protect us regardless of what comes our way.

God is the Comforter

Our God is our Comforter (John 14:26). Living in this world as a follower of Jesus Christ is not easy. We are often ridiculed for our moral choices and for not following the crowd. We often go through pain and sorrow in this world. The pain of death, sickness and loss can be devastating. Many times, we can be hurt by the world and so God is our comforter. He is there through it all, in joy and in sorrow. God reminds us of who we are and who He is. He uses the Word to uplift us and teaches us to be better. God’s peace can amaze us, that even through the toughest of times we can be calm as His peace surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

God of all gods

He is the God of all other gods and the Lord of lords. He is the greatest, the mightiest and most awesome (Deuteronomy 10:17). He is the only God and there is none that can be compared to Him (Micah 7:18-19). Our God is the creator of everything and there is no task too great for Him (Jeremiah 32.27) (Psalm 147:5). Knowing this fact should cause us to rejoice because we trust in Him. Knowing that we trust in the Most High God should make us realise the true potential of who we are in Christ. This God is the only way to eternal life. He is the truth and the life (John 14:6). He is the same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Be encouraged and explore the Bible more to know Him. He loves us and He wants to draw us nearer, as we draw nearer, to Him.

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A song of encouragement for you: http://bit.ly/I-know-who-you-are

Photography by Kyle