Nature of God

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. [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Do you not know? Have you not heard?  The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth  Does not become weary or tired.  His understanding is inscrutable. (Isaiah 40:28) When I think of God as Creator, I am reminded that He knows and understands. Because God created me, He understands me. He knows how I function, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. He not only knows me, He knows all of His [...]