the character of God
When I was a pastor in West Virginia, I spent about 8 or 9 weeks preaching about the attributes of God. Different sermons mentioned things such as that God is infinite, all powerful, all knowing and ever present. I don't remember now if I fully explained why I spent so much time focused on that subject. The truth of the matter is, that it is because we all need to be reminded of who God truly is. We have a tendency as people to think that God is like us. And in the process of being reminded that He is not like us, our faith is strengthened. We realize that His ways are much much greater than ours.
In her book on "God's Guidance", Elisabeth Elliott right this, "Jesus identified himself here in one of his great I am statements (I am the way, the truth, and the life), and we are reminded of the primary condition of asking for help; the recognition of who God is. He is everything we are asking for. He is the Alpha, for nothing would have begun without Him." (Elliott, p.64).
This is why it is so important for the believer to get into the word of God. Because we cannot separate the giver and the gift. Because the first and most important gift that God gives us is Himself. We come to understand ourselves and also him through the Bible. This is why our faith is expanded as we read and study the Bible. Something that I noticed as a pastor that most believers don't do very often is read the word themselves. They think it is too hard, so they don't even try and as a result their faith is small. Romans 10:17 says, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ."
This is why so many christian today have an immature faith. They have their eyes on the storm around them instead of in His Word. They look around and reason to themselves that it is impossible for things to change. But, the truth is that nothing is too difficult for God. It is actually pretty easy for things to change. The problem is we often have our eyes focused on us instead of Him. If I truly understand how great God is, then I will realize that what look like mountains to me look trivial in God's eyes. But, I should realize that without faith it is impossible to please God Hebrews 11:6.
I'm convinced that God wants to do much more in the average believers life than he or she realizes. That God really does want to answer prayers and move mountains and instill hope and do great things through you. He is limited though when we chose to limit Him by a lack of faith. James says of the man without faith "But let him ask in Faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind, For let not that man expect that he will received anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." James 1:6-8
I think this is also why when the Lord prayer starts that it starts with "Our Faith, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name." Because the prayer does not start out with a list of demands, but it focuses on who God is. It focuses on the fact that He is our Father. Then, it focused on the desire to hallow or lift up God's name. This helps us to properly put things into perspective.
What is your concept of God? I would challenge you as you read scripture to look for attributes about God and who He is. I'd like to give you a few scriptures to get you started: Exodus 3:5-22; John 8:12; John 11:25; 1 John 4:8-11; Revelations 1:8; Isaiah 9:6; Psalm 34:15-18
In her book on "God's Guidance", Elisabeth Elliott right this, "Jesus identified himself here in one of his great I am statements (I am the way, the truth, and the life), and we are reminded of the primary condition of asking for help; the recognition of who God is. He is everything we are asking for. He is the Alpha, for nothing would have begun without Him." (Elliott, p.64).
This is why it is so important for the believer to get into the word of God. Because we cannot separate the giver and the gift. Because the first and most important gift that God gives us is Himself. We come to understand ourselves and also him through the Bible. This is why our faith is expanded as we read and study the Bible. Something that I noticed as a pastor that most believers don't do very often is read the word themselves. They think it is too hard, so they don't even try and as a result their faith is small. Romans 10:17 says, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ."
This is why so many christian today have an immature faith. They have their eyes on the storm around them instead of in His Word. They look around and reason to themselves that it is impossible for things to change. But, the truth is that nothing is too difficult for God. It is actually pretty easy for things to change. The problem is we often have our eyes focused on us instead of Him. If I truly understand how great God is, then I will realize that what look like mountains to me look trivial in God's eyes. But, I should realize that without faith it is impossible to please God Hebrews 11:6.
I'm convinced that God wants to do much more in the average believers life than he or she realizes. That God really does want to answer prayers and move mountains and instill hope and do great things through you. He is limited though when we chose to limit Him by a lack of faith. James says of the man without faith "But let him ask in Faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind, For let not that man expect that he will received anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." James 1:6-8
I think this is also why when the Lord prayer starts that it starts with "Our Faith, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name." Because the prayer does not start out with a list of demands, but it focuses on who God is. It focuses on the fact that He is our Father. Then, it focused on the desire to hallow or lift up God's name. This helps us to properly put things into perspective.
What is your concept of God? I would challenge you as you read scripture to look for attributes about God and who He is. I'd like to give you a few scriptures to get you started: Exodus 3:5-22; John 8:12; John 11:25; 1 John 4:8-11; Revelations 1:8; Isaiah 9:6; Psalm 34:15-18
