What is God really like?

What is God really like?

This question has been on the lips of millions of people over the millennia. And as much as we can delve deeper into this question, the answer is staggeringly simple. 

Jesus said: Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father (John 14:9). 

In other words, if we want to understand who God is, all we need to do is study Jesus. If we can comprehend the nature and 'person' of Jesus, then we will have a best foundation to understand Yahweh. The apostle Paul actually put it like this:

Colossians 1:15: “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”

Hebrews 1:3: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.”

Thought: If you want to discover what God is really like, please don't look at other people (pastors included) - rather study the life and person of Jesus.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Search me and know my anxious thoughts

I have often felt that this prayer in Psalm 139 has to one of the bravest prayers I know.

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” – Psalm 139:23-24

To invite God to search the core of our being is to have complete trust in the mercy of God. Intellectually we may understand that we can't hide from God, so to ask God to 'know' our hearts, and our anxious thoughts, is really to stop running and to be still before God. That can be scary, but it doesn't need to be. 

If we are serious about walking in the ways of Christ, we need to be willing to be completely vulnerable before our Maker. What do you feel?

Jeremiah prayed a similar prayer: But as for me, Lord, you know my heart. You see me and test my thoughts. (Jeremiah 12:3)

Living in Grace

D3LM3

If you don't know me by now...

The song "If you don't know me by now" was written in the 1970's, but gained world-wide fame in 1989, when Simply Red released their version of the song. The opening lines of the song raise an interesting point. They state:

"If you don't know me by now,
You will never, never, never know me..."

The reason I mention this is because the question we reflected on in yesterday' sermon was: "Don't know you me as yet?" - this is the searching question that Jesus asked Philip. It was a gentle rebuke of Philip suggesting to him that he should know the ways of Jesus a lot more, especially since he had spent enough time with Jesus already. 

"Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? - John 14:9

For me, there is a difference between the 2 statements. The first one implies that we will never get to truly know the other person, no matter how hard we try. While Jesus' challenge leaves room for us to decide to 'know' God on a deeper level. I am not sure if that makes sense to you, but I am inspired to lean into the scriptures to get to know Jesus as my brother and friend. What about you?

“I am not asking whether you know things about Him but do you know God, are you enjoying God, is God the centre of your life, the soul of your being, the source of your greatest joy?” - Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Living in grace

D3LM3

The companion

“We may not know exactly where the journey will lead, but we can be sure of who travels with us.” – Shane Stafford.

It is deeply reassuring to be reminded that we have a close companion on the journey of life. No matter how alone you may be feeling at the moment, please remember that Christ is with you.

Mark 1:21 - Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum.

John 13:1-2 - Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that the time had come to leave this world to go to the Father. Having loved his dear companions, he continued to love them right to the end.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

The presence of Christ in the midst of your storm

In Mark's gospel there is a lovely narrative about the disciple's experience in a fierce storm (Mark 4:35-41). Their ordinary sailing trip across the Sea of Galilee soon becomes a nightmare. And in their panic, they call out to Jesus, "help us", "we are drowning!"

Mark tells us that Jesus calms the storm with a command and the disciples are amazed what this miracle. Maybe they were only calling Jesus to help them bail out the water in the boat - they needed all hands-on deck - and Jesus superseded their request. He actually had authority over the wind and waves!

Let us remember that when we are confronted by storms in our lives, that Jesus is present with us. Sometimes he may give us the strength we need to keep sailing, but other times he may grant us a miracle.

Isaiah 41:10 – “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.

Psalm 46:1-2 – “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear.”

Living in Grace

D3LM3

A thought for Saint Patrick's Day

The 17th of March is a day that marks the memory of Saint Patrick and this year I am especially struck by how one person can make a difference all over the planet. We are bombarded daily by the negative influence of many powerful people, and sadly their lives do impact upon all of us. However, today I want to give thanks for the millions of people who bring love, kindness and hope to our world. We may not all be a Saint Patrick, but our lives can touch the hearts of others.

Here are a few quotes attributed to Patrick. 

“I am certain in my heart that all that I am, I have received from God.”

“Behold, I give my soul to my faithful God, whom I serve as his ambassador.”

“It is Christ who is my great master, who inspires me and strengthens me in all things.”

Thought: It is important to remember that Patrick's early years were filled with pain and suffering, as he was taken captive as a young man in Ireland. However, he remembered these years as a time of refining and change. God renewed his heart in such a powerful way that he chose to go back to Ireland to share God's love with his former captors. 

Living in grace

D3LM3

The full Serenity Prayer - a great resource to combat anxiety

I find that using the Serenity prayer is a great way of reducing anxiety in my life. The full version of the prayer is very helpful and teaches us to trust in the Lord's work in our lives. If you are struggling with worry at the moment, then I invite you to pray this prayer as often as you need to.

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace,
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it,
Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will,
That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen."

Matthew 6:27 - Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? 

Living in Grace

D3LM3