7.9.11 "What Do You Know About God?"

"What Do You Know About God?"

I Chronicles 7:1-8:40
Acts 27:1-20
Psalm 7:1-17
Proverbs 18:22

If someone were to ask you, "Hey, what do you know about God?" and you had no time to prepare, what's your first response? "Tell me about him. What's he like? What's important to him?"

As much as we have a personal relationship with the Lord, we still have a tendency to "create" him. We develop an image of what God is based on our presumptions, prejudice, and even opinion. Not that we do that intentionally, we're just wired to think from our own understanding.

I've heard it said that many times an individual's picture of God is greatly influenced by the picture they have of their earthy father. If your father was angry and heavy handed, you may think of God as a disciplinarian. If your father left your family, you may even have a misplaced resentment of God being distant. I have a great dad who's kind and merciful and always available to help and counsel, so my image of God naturally reflects some of those things. Even though those are great qualities, and do describe who God is, I have to be careful that I discover those attributes of God by knowing him, and not just "give" him those attributes.

Looking at how each of us can develop our own view, it can actually be somewhat disconcerting that we all could have differing opinions of what God is like. Don't you think that's dangerous? How do we reconcile this?

This brings up the urgency and importance that we are "Empowered Through Biblical Training". As we mature in Christ, we must increase in our intensity and devotion to the study of the Word. He reveals himself to us through scripture. Sometimes we can take little "snapshots". A verse here, a verse there, and build up a theology, or belief of what God is like, but as you look at scripture in it's entirety, God's nature REALLY shows up.

It's kind of like one of those pictures that's made up of a bunch of tiny pictures. If you look at one segment you can develop an understanding of what that little picture is of, but when you zoom out, it's like, "OH! I get it!" (if you haven't seen what i'm talking about... sorry for the confusion!)

For example, look at today's one year bible reading: I Chronicles 7-8 - Genealogies, populations and authority structures, Acts 27:1-20 - Paul's wild boat ride through many ports and storms, Psalm 7 - David having some issues with the bad guys, and Proverbs 18:22 - "the man who finds a wife finds a good thing..."

Those scriptures paint a great picture of who I see that God is. Here's a few thoughts:
1. He's into details - he knows how many people there are, he knows them by name, and who they're related to.
2. He's into authority structures - He established them, and he gives honor to those who honor them
3. He knows about the storms - he completes his will through them.
4. He has no patience for evil
5. He is Good
6. He's excited about the blessing of a wife.

There's so much more in here, but that last one is important to me as tomorrow Lisa & I celebrate 18 years of this wonderful marriage. I'm so glad that God's a part of it. He has put us together in such a cool way and has used us to help each other grow in our understanding of God. What a great thing! I'm telling you that it's amazing how I learn more about Lisa the longer I'm with her. How much more with God!

Make sure you are disciplined in getting into the Word. It helps you make sure that your picture of God is balanced, and not a man made image.

Be Empowered Through Biblical Training!


Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

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