What is He like, What is His Character and Personality?
This is the question that millions of people have grappled with over all time and millennia. We all have thoughts about what we know about Him, and we will review many of those here, but this will not be an exhaustive look by any means. What we do want to do is get to know our Living God beyond the clinical understanding of Who God is, to a personal and honest relationship with Him. This is also not about, as some would say, “making God your buddy”. It is about a relationship of mutual love, honor and respect.
So, if I asked a long-time friend of yours to describe you to me, what would they say? How would they describe your personality, how are you around people, shy or quiet? Friendly and open? Bold / Brash? Do you meet people easily? What things do like or Love? What things do you tolerate or not tolerate. What things do you hate? What are the things you love? (Besides Pizza and Mexican food 😉)
As you can quickly see, a basic knowledge of someone doesn’t really talk about who this person is in real life. It basically only gives you “Just the facts”. But there is so much more to know about YOU.
- God wants us to know Him personally, not just about Him. So, He has personally provided all the information we need about everything He is, in His Word, The Bible. It is the total and complete volume of all that He is. What He’s done, what He’s doing, what He will do, and where we fit into His plan for Life. It conveys His Character, His personality and attributes, His mind, heart, …everything!
Let’s review and ponder some of the Father’s personality traits…
- He is Sovereign. He alone is God over all Creation, There is no other.
- He is the Creator of All things.
- He is Holy – Set apart for His Purpose throughout All Creation.
- He is Spirit
- He is One in Essence yet 3 distinct Persons (Trinity- Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
- He is Omniscient- All Knowing
- He is All Powerful
- He is Loving, Gracious, and Merciful
- He is Just.
- He is Righteous
Also, just so you know, He knows you completely. He created you for Life. He knows the plans he has had for you since before your beginning. Psalm 139 spells it out beautifully. (Ps 139:1-6)
“O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
4Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O Lord, You know it all.
5 You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.”
David was in awe of God’s love and protection, and to be honest, so am I. When we have a daily connection to our heavenly Father, it is beyond our comprehension. Yet that is the relationship God has always desired with us. He created us for an amazing life in fellowship with Him. He gave us the choice to choose this relationship with Him. Not out of duty or compulsion, but out of reciprocal love and obedience to Him. This was the relationship David strove for. Was he perfect, no. Neither are we. But his heart longed after his relationship with God. This is the key, does our heart long to walk and honor the Lord through our lives? Our heart and motives matter throughout everything we do. It is who we are. He knows us intimately; He created us and loves us. Wow!
Next time we’ll look at knowing Him, knowing me…. See you then.