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Isaiah 40:28 (ESV)“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.”
Much has
been said about God’s character.
God is
loving, near to those who pray to Him, powerful, eternal, and merciful. I
created this list within seconds based on what I know of God. Imagine the list
we could develop if we sat down and prayerfully considered God’s entire
character. It may take hours, or even days. Imagine the power this list would
unleash. Conceivably, fears would be eradicated, anxiety abolished, and sorrow
and pain rendered temporary and even made insignificant in the Light of Who He
is.
Sounds to
me like we should do this…
God is forgiving. No sin, no mistake, and no
faulty decision can separate a believer from God’s love or grace. So, that time in our pasts we don’t want anyone
to know about, the long-ago action that led to so much pain, the dark thoughts
we cannot escape, the envy we harbor in our secret places … none of it is big
enough to turn away our Heavenly Father’s forgiveness. (Acts 13:38: Therefore, my friends, I want you to know
that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.)
God is just. The antonym of merciful is just. Amazingly,
our God is both. He is a fair judge, one who acts responsibly and always out of
love. His righteousness is demonstrated as He offers us free will – though we
may not choose Him. His uprightness is evident by the numerous ways He makes
all things good in order to solidify outcomes for His divine purposes. No evil
can hinder His perfect justice. God will right all wrongs – even the ones we
think we can handle on our own and the ones not even on our radar. (Deuteronomy 32:4: He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A
faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.)
God is good. Everything that God creates is
good. Everything that passes through God’s hands transfigures to good,
including our circumstances. From God’s perspective, all will be made good in
order to complete His masterpiece. Therefore, when life turns sour and we
struggle in this world, we can be encouraged that God is there, transforming
everything for our benefit as we lean on and love Him. (2 Samuel 10:12: Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our
people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.)
Then there
are the more subtle of God’s characteristics – the ones that come to mind only
when we sit and truly listen to our hearts as they beat strongly for Him…
God is steadfast. God can be forgiving, just, and
good, but if His character is prone to grow weary, the rest is all for naught.
But God does not tire, He does not fatigue, and He does not give up. God is the
Alpha and the Omega. He was, is, and will be. When our lives crumble, when
tragedy strikes, or when hope seems lost, God is still there. He is still God,
in charge of it all. When we feel like we have hit bottom, God is there to pull
us out. Even more amazing, when we run from God, chasing after our own dreams –
or worse, Satan’s – God is still there, waiting for us to come Home. (Psalm
55:22: Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let
the righteous be shaken.)
God is creative. The subtle hues of a rainbow,
the intricacy of the human eye, the vast space filled with burning stars, the
imaginative minds of His children – God made all of it. He is beyond creative.
What seems impossible to our limited laws of science and math is a simple
solution for our God Almighty, whose creativity crosses the border of the
possible into the impossible. Where we see broken and shattered dreams, God
sees opportunities. When we find ourselves in so deep we see no escape, God
shows us a new plan. (Ephesians 3:20-21: Now
to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory…)
God has integrity.
He does what He says He will do. This is so important to remember. His Word is
truth – filled with morality, always upright. He is full of honor; Nothing
can alter the moral code that God has established, and God is the ultimate role
model of that code. When God says His love endures forever, it means no matter
what we do, He will always love us. When James 1:2-5 reads, Consider it pure joy, my brothers and
sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the
testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work
so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you
lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding
fault, and it will be given to you, we can in fact find joy during our struggles
and ask God for wisdom … and receive it.
Isaiah 40:28 (ESV)
sums up this list perfectly. “Have you not
known? Have you not heard? (God has integrity) The Lord is the everlasting God (God is eternal), the Creator of the ends of the
earth (God is good). He does not faint or grow weary (God is steadfast); his understanding is
unsearchable (God is creative).”
I challenge
you to develop your own list of God’s character. Slow down. Pray through it.
God’s character matters, and as you will see in Part II next week, being able
to “cling to the character of God[1]”
makes all the difference in this world.
© 2013 As A Clay Jar. All rights reserved.
[1] Max Lucado, a gifted writer, pastor, and
speaker, said this at a Women of Faith conference in Charlotte, North Carolina
on October 12, 2013: “Before tough times come, think of God’s character. Faith
crises are caused when our expectations are not met. If you cling to the
character of God, you will get through it. God never promises the absence of pain. He promises to be there
and to use it for good.”
© 2013 As A Clay Jar. All rights reserved.
[1] Max Lucado, a gifted writer, pastor, and
speaker, said this at a Women of Faith conference in Charlotte, North Carolina
on October 12, 2013: “Before tough times come, think of God’s character. Faith
crises are caused when our expectations are not met. If you cling to the
character of God, you will get through it. God never promises the absence of pain. He promises to be there
and to use it for good.”
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