What attribute of God is most important to you?
As I promised in my last post, I’m listing in this post the qualities of God He revealed from 40 of the questions He asked in the Old Testament. And yes, there are more but Larry and I were limited in the number we could choose. Also, He multi-tasked at times to reveal several qualities but we decided to emphasize one.
As you read through them (below), get in touch with what your mind believes and what your heart actually “trusts” is true. Here’s how.
A little “exercise” i often give at a seminar or women’s retreat as I teach on God’s attributes, is to list on the women’s handout/workbook different qualities and ask them to indicate which ones they “believe” about God with their mind, and which ones they “trust” with their hearts. But I also mix in qualities which aren’t true of God. Of course I tell them that but ask them to honestly assess whether they might actually think that quality “feels” or “seems” true.
For instance, mixed in are: untrustworthy, lying, unloving, uncaring, punishing, mean, etc.
After the exercise, I ask for feedback and so many reply saying things like, “I never knew there was a part of my heart that believed that lie about God.” Or “No wonder I have a hard time trusting Him in this area because I’m believing a lie about Him.” It’s really quite remarkable.
So as you go through this list, think of ways you might be believing the opposite (which is a lie) about God’s perfectly holy qualities which have no hint of anything bad.
Here ya go…
- Personableness: Genesis 3:9 Where are you?
- Wise: Genesis 4:6 Why are you angry?
- Confident: Exodus 14:15 Why do you cry to me?
- Awesome: Numbers 12:8 Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
- Generous: Deuteronomy 20:19 Are the trees in the field human, that they should be beseieged by you?
- Just: Deuteronomy 32:34 Is not this laid up in store with me, sealed up in my treasuries?
- Encouraging: Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you?
- Wise: Joshua 7:10 Why have you fallen on your face?
- Faithful: Judges 2:2 What is this you have done?
- Present: Judges 6:14 Do not I send you?
- Wondrous: Judges 13:18 Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?
- Grieving: I Samuel 16:1 How long will you grieve over Saul?
- Compassionate: I Kings 19:9 What are you doing here, Elijah?
- Sufficient: 2 Kings 1:16 Is it because there is no God in Israel?
- Sovereign: 2 Kings 19:25 Have you not heard that I determined it long ago?
- Creative: 1 Chronicles 17:6 Did I speak a word … ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’
- Omniscient: 2 Chronicles 1:7 Ask what I shall give you.
- Truthful: Job 38:2 Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
- Purposeful: Job 38:4 Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
- Creative: Job 38:31 Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion?
- Sustaining: Job 38:41 Who provides for the raven its prey?
- Forgiving: Job 40:2 Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
- Generous: Psalm 50:13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?
- Loving: Proverbs 1:22 How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
- Holy: Isaiah 6:8 Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?
- Glorious: Isaiah 48:11 For how should my name be profaned?
- Comforting: Isaiah 51:12 Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies?
- Grieving: Ezekiel 8:6 Son of man, do you see what they are doing … to drive me far from my sanctuary?
- Perfect: Jeremiah 2:5 What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me?
- Loyal: Hosea 6:4 What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
- Protecting: Joel 3:4 Are you paying me back for something?
- Integrity: Amos 2:11 Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?
- Just: Obadiah 1:8 Will I not on that day … destroy the wise men out of Edom?
- Caring: Jonah 4:4 Do you do well to be angry?
- Providing: Micah 6:3 How have I wearied you?
- Time-Sensitive: Nahum 2:11 Where is the lions’ den, the feeding place of the young lions?
- Encouraging: Haggai 1:4 Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses?
- Patient: Haggai 2:3 Is it not as nothing in your eyes?
- Encouraging: Zechariah 4:5 Do you not know what these are?
- Never-changing: Malachi 3:8 Will man rob God?
Any surprises? What quality seems most sure to you and was there any correct attribute you’re not sure you are fully invested in?
When you have trouble trusting God or obeying Him, ask yourself, “What lie am I believing about who God is?”
What is your favorite quality of God? What quality would you like to believe and trust in more strongly? God reveals how important this is when He asks questions in the Bible for the purpose of revealing Himself. TWEET THAT!!!!
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Will you make a comment and help me and my readers?
(If you want to study God’s attributes, I hope you’ll consider purchasing our book, God’s Intriguing Questions: 40 Old Testament Devotions Revealing God’s Nature.
I’ve believed many lies about Our Father through the years. I especially remember how so many portrayed Him in their teachings as being a mean, vengeful God who was just waiting for yo to mess up so He could send you to hell. God will grieve every one of His creations who make the choice to deny Him. He loved each of us so much He sent His Son to take our place; yet even one who dies in this life failing to accept His free gift of salvation is a terrible price. As for the one attribute that has come to be most important in my life, it would be truthful. Everything God is, does, and will do is based in truth. It is in understanding His word is truth that I am learning to trust, follow, and depend upon Him more with each day. I may never come to understand the why, what. when, or how of what God does or allows, but because I know He is truthful in all things, I know I can trust Him to make good from it in my life.
I feel as sad as you, J.D., when we know that God’s wonderful qualities have been misrepresented and taught incorrectly. And what you said about his essence of truth is so important. It truly is so essential. Thank you, as always, for sharing your wisdom.
This is so good! I think there’s many of us that believe lies about our Savior at some point in our lives. For me it’s been in the face of suffering- is He protecting? Is He loving? I echo a lot of the commenter above. It’s staying in His word and growing in Him that we see He is all good, all wise, all knowing. It’s that security and trust in Him I’m so thankful for.
Nina, thank you so very much for you comments. And exactly! Staying in His Word and growing in our confidence in His qualities is such a source of a strong faith. I’m grateful along with you for a God who wants to be known.