Who Is God?

Scriptures: Psalms 73:28, Psalms 145:18, Jeremiah 23:23, Acts 17:27, Acts 2

God is Near

“But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.” Psalm 73:28

What a beautiful verse. The psalmist declares, “My portion in life is God’s nearness to me.” I don’t know about you, but that comforts me. God is near—we have been given the abiding gift of the Holy Spirit. God is here (Acts 2)! 

God is so near to His children. We see this truth again and again in the Scriptures. David proclaimed that “the Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth” (Ps. 145:18). The Father spoke through the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “‘Am I a God who is near,’ declares the Lord, ‘And not a God far off?’” (Jer. 23:23). God is here wherever we are.

The truth is, however, that sometimes we feel the Lord is not near. Sometimes, because we’re facing a problem or because of our emotions, we feel that God is far away, but I want to encourage you to look for Him in your life. Look for Jesus to manifest Himself in your circumstances. Look for Yeshua to speak to you in your dreams. Look for Him to give you wisdom through another person. Look for Him in divine synchronicities. Trust in the Holy Spirit who bears witness with your spirit.

God is near, but we have to be looking for Him or we’ll miss Him. Paul said that God made mankind “that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27). Beloved, God loves you more than you realize, and He is nearer to you than your own breath. Open your heart. Believe that God loves you, is with you, and will never leave you nor forsake you. Bless the Lord!

Scriptures: Psalms 23:3, Proverbs 3:6, Jeremiah 29:11

He Will Guide You 

“He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” Psalm 23:3

It is such a comfort to know Father God will lead and guide me. None of us knows the future. We don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. We don’t always know if we should choose A or B because they both look like good options. But Father knows which option is best, because He knows where He wants to take us, and He knows what is going to happen tomorrow. To me, this is such an encouragement. I don’t know how I could live without the confidence that Father God will lead and guide me as David says in Psalm 23.

Perhaps you’re feeling some anxiety about a future decision you have to make, or maybe you’re concerned about whether a decision you recently made was the right one. I want to encourage you to just continue to look to God. As many of you now know, Jews often refer to God as HaShem, a Hebrew term that means “The Name.” It’s a reminder that God is big—so much bigger than the box we put Him in. He is unlimited and is not confined to time and space; He can even override bad decisions you have made and use them for good.

The Scriptures tell us, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Prov. 3:6). God doesn’t just lead us along any path; He leads us in the way we should go—the way that will lead us to the good future God has planned for us. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jer. 29:11, KJV). God has a destination for each of us, and He knows the path that will get us there.

So be encouraged, beloved. You’re not alone in this world. It’s not all up to you. As you continue to put your trust in God through Jesus, He is going to continue to lead and guide you in life.

Scriptures: Psalms 27:3, Romans 8:35-39, Psalms 27:1

Make God Your Confidence

“Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war arise against me, in spite of this I shall be confident.” Psalm 27:3

David is a primary figure not only within Judaism but to everyone who believes the Bible. He was described as a man who was after (in pursuit of) God’s own heart. It is powerful and beautiful that although he was a warrior, David had a sensitive soul and loved the Lord deeply. And as today’s verse indicates, he had incredible confidence in God.

Every human being in every generation is assaulted by fear at some point. All around us there are problems and threats that we can neither prevent nor control. Natural disasters sometimes strike without warning. An accident or bad doctor’s report can change a person’s life in a moment. Financial concerns torment many. And, of course, the biggest fear that plagues mankind is the fear of death. Why? Because we have no control over it. We don’t know when or how we’re going to die, and sadly, many people have no idea where they’re going when they die, and the fear of the unknown is the most ominous of all.

But when we put our confidence in God, no matter what we’re facing—whether it’s death, things past, things present, things to come, or any created thing—we become more than conquerors through Him who loves us. (See Romans 8:35–39.) God is our confidence. David declared, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?” (Ps. 27:1). I believe Messiah Jesus is saying to you and me today, “Be strong and courageous in Me. Be afraid of nothing.”

Scriptures: Nahum 1:7, Luke 12:7

He Knows You 

“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him.” Nahum 1:7

Father God is omniscient; He knows everybody. But I’m not talking about Him knowing us in the objective sense. I’m talking about Him knowing us intimately and tenderly. He resists the proud, but He knows everyone who seeks to take refuge in Him with a sincere and humble heart.

When we come to Abba as a child, He stoops down because He is tender and sensitive. When we come to Him to take refuge in Him, He meets us in that place. He knows us. The Lord is looking to and fro across the earth for someone who will come to Him and truly rely on Him to be their God.

As you and I come to the Lord with our weaknesses, with our problems, with our needs, with our sin, with our fears and everything else that concerns us, and we open our souls to Him, looking to Him to be our help, He is eager to be our Helper. You can be assured not just that He knows who you are in a general sense, but that He loves you deeply, personally, and specifically—Jesus said, in fact, God knows every hair on your head (Luke 12:7).

Beloved, God is calling you to take refuge in Him—to talk to Him as you would talk to a friend, to share the deepest needs and burdens of your heart with Him. As you do, be assured that He hears you, knows you, and loves you with the type of tender love a mother and father have for their little child. And He will draw near to you, strengthen you, and be your stronghold in the day of trouble.

Scriptures: 1 John 4:18, Matthew 10:29-31

He Cares About Every Detail

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” 1 John 4:18

I have often prayed for a deeper understanding of this verse. One thing it means for sure—when we understand how perfectly the Father loves us, we will not be afraid.

You see, Jesus said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows” (Matt. 10:29–31). Getting hold of how intimately the Lord loves us and is involved in our lives dispels fear.

God cares about even the minute details of our lives. I know it’s easy to say that; it’s harder to really grab hold of that reality, especially when we’re going through hard times. For example, sometimes I get attacked in my sleep with bad dreams that make me feel I’m a million miles away from God. I wake up in the morning and think, “Lord, if I’m so close to You, why did I have that dream? Where were You?” I have to fight to say, “Lord, even though it seemed like You weren’t with me in that dream, I’m going to still believe that somehow You’re completely, intimately involved in every detail of my life. Your love was hovering over me as I slept last night. I know the picture is bigger than what I’m seeing right now. Help me to understand how much You love me.”

Beloved, we need revelation of how intimately involved in our lives God is and how deep is His affection for us. When we truly get this, we will fear nothing, because we will know we are not victims of circumstance but that God is in control, directing everything and completely watching over our lives.

Scriptures: Exodus 34:6-7, Revelation 3:20, Revelation 20:15

A Compassionate Father 

“The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth…who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.” Exodus 34:6-7

When God spoke His name to Moses in the Book of Exodus and disclosed His nature, the very first characteristics of His nature are revealed: compassion and grace.

The Lord is a good God who delights in loving His chosen ones. He is merciful and slow to anger. He is not a God who erratically loses His temper, but rather He is filled with goodness, long-suffering, and love. And notice in our verse today that the Lord is “abounding in lovingkindness and truth.” What does abounding mean? It points to something that is bubbling up, overflowing, and more than enough. Our God is an astonishing Father, running over with more than enough compassion and grace to meet all our needs!

But let’s also notice the next thing our God makes known about Himself: “Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.” Think about this. God is, first of all, compassionate, but secondly, He is just. We need to understand His essence, ways, and actions from these two perspectives. The Father is first of all merciful. That is why He sent our Messiah, Jesus. If He wanted to just show justice, He never would have sacrificed His Son for us. He would have just destroyed mankind for their sin and not provided a path for redemption. But because God is compassionate and gracious, He provided a way for us to turn to Him through Jesus.

God loves you and me. But when He stands at the door of men’s hearts and knocks (Rev. 3:20) and is not received in, He has no choice but to execute justice, condemning those who will not receive His grace (Rev. 20:15).

Scriptures: Song of Songs 6:3, James 2:23, Galatians 3:14, John 15:15

Choose to Be His 

“I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.” Song of Solomon 6:3

This verse may be familiar to you if you’ve read the Song of Solomon (also called the Song of Songs). The book paints a picture of the relationship we have with our God. As it was with Solomon and his bride, so it is with us: we are God’s, and He is ours.

Beloved, you are important to God. He created you and me because He wanted our friendship. James 2:23 tells us that Abraham “was called the friend of God.” Can you imagine? God called Abraham His yedeed (Hebrew for friend). But friendship with God isn’t only for Abraham. It is for you and me as well (Gal. 3:14).

Jesus said, “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). God gets pleasure from being in relationship with us. But as with any good relationship, both sides must choose to value the other.

We exist within God, because everything God created exists within Him. He holds the entire universe together. Yet while we exist within Him, we are separate from Him until we choose to unite with Him. We are unique human beings. The reason God made us independent from Him is because He wanted a real love relationship with us, and the only way that could happen is if we had to choose to love Him. Because we’re in Him but unique from Him, we must choose to unite with Him.

I want to ask you a question today: Are you choosing every day to join yourself to God for His pleasure—to be His? When we choose to be His, we wake up in the morning and begin the day by bringing Him into our consciousness. Then we consciously give ourselves to Him by doing things that please Him such as cultivating an awareness of His presence, praying, reaching out to help others, and spending time in the Word. Beloved, we are His. We were created for Him, and when we give ourselves to Him, we fulfill the reason for which He made us—to be joined and united to Him.