We cannot know the fullness of God in our lifetime, for He is too majestic for us to comprehend with our human minds and our limited viewpoints as we live in time. However, we can begin the quest to expand our awareness of God’s nature knowing that the task will take us into eternity. We can be still and know that He is God as we behold His nature evidenced in the world around us – beauty, detail, consistency, love, mercy, and power. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). When we believe in Jesus and accept Him as our savior, we take on His very nature and are overcomers of all that we encounter:
“In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” (I John 5:3-5).
Our whole perspective on life changes when we begin to behold the nature of God. He always knows the way that we take and He uses each hard place in our lives to refine us and transform us into His image. While we live and move and have our being in Him we can rest in His peace and walk around in confidence no matter what we face. When we recognize God’s consistency, we can begin to trust His heart toward us and His hand at work in our lives. James reveals how God does not change. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:7). Not only is God unchanging, but He promises that He works all things for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28) and that never will He leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5 and Deuteronomy 31:6). Let us face every difficulty and celebrate all joys without fear as we walk with Him and recognize who God is and what He is about:
“This is how we know that we live in Him and He in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (I John 4:13-18).
God’s nature is not one of abandoning His followers when things get tough, for He made us to overcome through Him and have His peace that passes all understanding. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). What an exciting prospect! There are no limitations put on overcoming for we have examples of overcoming sickness, death, threats and persecutions, enemies in battle, and even a furnace of fire and a lion’s den throughout scripture. Just as the mighty believers of old proclaimed: “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand” (Daniel 3:17). Believers in Christ can walk around in confidence knowing that God is well able to deliver us and that we can overcome every circumstance through Him who loves us.Then when we have finished our races on earth He will take us to Himself in glory, so whether we overcome here or stand in faith and wake up in His presence all is well.
When we meditate upon God’s nature our limited perspective is expanded to see past this temporal life and into eternity – where it really gets good. We get to know Him here and get to enjoy and know Him fully in eternity, so no matter what happens we are living in a win-win situation.
While being still before the Lord and meditating on His nature, I received the following word from the Lord:
Oh My love, how I long for you to know Me. Take a moment away from Your busy life and the worries and the heavy load you bear and know Me. Oh My beloved, know Me as the love of your life, know Me as healer, know Me as deliver, know Me as provider. I am the banner over you, I am the one who sings over you to lift you out of your despair. My tenderness toward you is beyond tracing out.
I have not desired for your path to be difficult, but I will bring you through each hard place, I will demolish each clod beneath your feet, I will deliver you and together we will sing and dance. You will worship Me with songs of deliverance and thanksgiving. My love, how I delight in you. I Am unchanging and I live on the inside of you. I do not count your missteps and mistakes, for I call you to walk a higher way with Me. Come out of the sinful place and choices that do not delight My heart and be what I created you to be, walk in the calling I’ve heralded to your heart, fulfill the purposes I have for you. I do not even ask you to do these in your own strength but in Mine.
I cover You with My righteousness. Behold My beauty in nature and behold what I’m creating in you. Beyond what man can create or fix, I make you whole, I give you a new way to walk in Me. Limit not My workings in your life or the things that have need of change about you, just behold Me and know that all things are possible through Me. I love you, let this knowledge permeate you and overcome any darkness or despair you have felt. I love you and will make your way.
The following Psalms reveal elements of God’s divine nature. Let us meditate upon these, say them out loud, and sing them to God until the truth of these words permeate our very being and His light overtakes the darkness around us:
Psalm 27: 1-14
“The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord. Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek. Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior. Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations. I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
Psalm 19:1-14
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth. The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
Psalm 96:1-13
“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. Say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns.’ The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness.”