David said to Gad, “I am in great distress; please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are very great. But do not let me fall into the hand of man.” (1Chr. 21:13) What does mercy mean to you? Noah Webster described mercy as, That benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which disposes a person to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than he deserves; the disposition that [...]
When it comes to understanding the nature of God, love is at the center of many mysteries. If you have been following along with this series, we have touched on some difficult questions that arise when we consider the nature of God. For example, if it is true that God knows everything, if it is true that He is all-powerful and supreme in authority, if it is true that perfect righteousness and justice are integral [...]
Humanity has problems with the justice of God. On the one hand, people complain when God does not act, when evil appears to go unpunished and innocents suffer. On the other hand, people fear God’s strict standard of judgment. God is just, and as in all things, God’s justice is perfect and complete. His judgments are right and good. The real issue is that sin is a bigger problem than we like to admit. Sin [...]
Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; Whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right, And the righteous will walk in them, But transgressors will stumble in them. (Hosea 14:9) When it comes to righteousness, let me clarify something right from the beginning. When the Bible speaks of righteousness, it doesn’t mean self-righteousness. Human self-righteousness is prideful and arrogant. It is about proving I am right and [...]
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” (Rev. 4:8) When I consider the attributes of God’s character, His holiness stands apart. I don’t know about you, but there is something about the holiness of God that immediately arouses awe and wonder in my mind and heart. Noah Webster defined holiness as perfect purity or integrity of moral character. God’s moral character radiates absolute [...]
The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all. (Psalm 103:19) As Americans, we get most of our ideas of royalty from books, movies, and British royal weddings. We think of lavish ceremonies, extravagant clothing and priceless jewels. Depending on our personal tastes in books and movies, we may think of palace intrigue, power struggles, and scandal. Or we may think of nobility, great battles against evil, and selfless [...]
Our lives are constrained by time. Hours pass into days and seasons into years as time marches forward. A child looks ahead and counts the hours long. A gray-haired man looks back and asks, “Where have the years gone?” The passage of time brings order to our lives. It gives us a frame of reference, a common standard by which we communicate and coordinate in community. For one, the number of his days on earth [...]
Is anything too hard for God? Nothing. Nothing is impossible with God (Matt. 19:26). In all of Eternity, He does as He pleases and accomplishes with perfection every task He sets out to do (Ps. 135:6, Isa. 55:10-11). No purpose of His can be thwarted (Job 42:1-2). His power and authority are infinite. The entire universe burst into existence, not by the labor of His hands and the sweat of His brow, but by the [...]
When we contemplate the nature of God, we may find ourselves puzzled, mystified, befuddled. We stand amazed, in awe, and slightly overwhelmed. The nature of God, to be honest, is more than we can fully take in all at once. But He understands. He is never confused or misinformed. He never makes a decision, as we do, based on faulty or incomplete knowledge or understanding. He is never fooled by deception – He is able [...]
As human beings, we live with limitation. We may expand our reach, but there are boundaries we simply cannot cross. We cannot be in two places at once. But God is not limited by space or time. Space and time as we experience it are a part of God’s Creation. As Creator of the heavens and earth, God transcends His Creation. God Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, is right here with us in the [...]
