What is God really like? Is the nature of God something we can know for certain? Is the God of the Bible someone we can depend on? Christian faith is not based on religious doctrine or ritual, it is placing our faith in a person: the God of the Bible.
Join me in exploring the nature and character of God…
No Gumby God
I have a friend who loves puns and word plays (you know who you are!) Sometimes his humor makes you groan, but sometimes he hits it right on the mark. And sometimes, his remarks are as insightful as they are humorous. One of his favorite phrases is “a Gumby God.” Do you remember Gumby? I may be showing my age, but Gumby was popular when I was young. Gumby is a simple cartoon-like character that [...]
God Who Provides
For many of us who have been raised in the cities and suburbs of North America, autumn is about warm soup, brisk walks, colorful foliage, and hoping the winter snow will be manageable. But for those who have been raised in farm country, fall is the season of the harvest. In much of the world, and for most of human history, a good harvest means being able to provide for the family for another year. [...]
God is Compassionate and Gracious
One of my favorite stories in the Old Testament takes place in Exodus when Moses has been leading God’s people through the wilderness. While Moses is away on Mount Sinai, the people rebel against God and compel Aaron to create for them an idol to worship – like they had when they were slaves in Egypt. After Moses comes down from the mountain and deals with the rebellion, Moses and God have a conversation. God [...]
God Who Never Changes
If you have heard the story of the prophet, Jonah, you will probably immediately think of how he was swallowed by a whale. The story goes that God sent Jonah to the great city of Nineveh to warn the people that He would send destruction upon them because of their wickedness. But instead of doing what God had commanded, Jonah ran away. He boarded a ship headed in the opposite direction. God sent a great [...]
A Personal God
Have you ever had the experience of expecting things to turn out one way, but when it comes to it, it turns out to be very different from what you expected? Maybe it was a person. Someone you didn’t really know very well, or someone you had never actually met, but you knew about them. Somehow you had it all worked out in your mind exactly what they were like. But then, when you finally [...]
A Humble God
Though the LORD is great, he cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud. (Psalm 138:6 NLT) Did you ever wonder why God favors those who are humble? Both James and Peter are referring to this verse in the Psalms when they write, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6, 1Peter 5:5) Does God get satisfaction from seeing people tremble in fear at His [...]
The Grace of God
Have you ever felt like you didn’t deserve God’s grace? Well, that’s kind of the point. Grace is not something you deserve. In fact, the whole point of grace is that it blesses you with goodness and kindness that you do not deserve and have not earned. It is integral to the nature of God to be gracious. By His grace, God showers His people with mercy and compassion and lovingkindness. In fact, He bestows [...]
A Who God is Good
O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting. (1 Chronicles 16:34) Where does one begin to declare the goodness of the Lord God? Can you imagine pure goodness, untainted by selfishness or evil in even the slightest degree? Can you imagine a God who is wholly good in all that He does, in His every plan and purpose, in every motivation of His heart, in every gift that [...]
A God Who Forgives
Oh, what a glorious thing to be forgiven! To no longer carry the guilt of your sins! God’s willingness to forgive all who come to Him in true humility and repentance is an amazing thing. But I have found that the forgiveness of God is often misunderstood. On the one hand, there is nothing you or I can do to earn forgiveness from God. We receive God’s forgiveness based on what Jesus did on our [...]
God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
The three-in-one or trinitarian nature of God is perhaps one of the most difficult concepts to grasp when we contemplate the nature of God. But when we begin to understand this very foundational facet of His nature, we also gain insights into our relationship with Him and with one other. I have found that the trinitarian nature of God explains the why of many things. What do we mean by the Trinity? Sometimes people seem [...]
Great is Thy Faithfulness
Thomas Chisholm (1866-1960) lived an ordinary life. Born in a log cabin in Kentucky, he became a teacher at age sixteen. Chisholm enjoyed writing poetry and at twenty-one, he became associate editor of his town newspaper in Franklin, Kentucky. At twenty-seven, Chisholm received Christ as his Savior under the revival ministry of Dr. Henry Clay Morrison. He moved to Louisville to become the editor and business manager of Dr. Morrison’s Pentecostal Herald. At the age [...]
A God Rich in Mercy
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 [...]