Understanding God

I don’t always understand God.

I never understand all of God.

I am not alone in not understanding God all the time. In fact, God does not expect me to fully understand Him.

Isaiah 55:8

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways” declares the Lord.

God being God does not think like us or act as we do.

God is infinite and sees everything from that infinite perspective.

I am finite and see everything from a finite perspective.

For us to really trust God, and God wants us not to just believe that He exist but to believe what He says, we have to know four things that God is.

John 14:6 says that Jesus is truth.

We have to know and live with the reality that Jesus is truth.

1 Peter 2:22 says that there was no sin in Jesus and no deceit was found in Him.

If we believe that Jesus is truth, then everything He says is truth and we can believe Him. If I believe Him, then I am going to live based on that belief, no matter what.

I will believe that Jesus loves me.

I will believe that Jesus wants the best for me.

I will believe every promise in God’s Word.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing God is truth.

Psalm 25:8

Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He instructs sinners in the way.

God is good.

Good means He will never do anything bad to me or do anything that will harm me. He will only do what is good for me.

God in Psalm 34:8 invites us to taste and see that the Lord is good.

Romans 8:28 tells us that God works everything for the good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

God will use even the things that we see as bad for our good.

Raise the Roof and Remove Walls is knowing God is good.  

John 4:8 and 16 says that God is love.

God is not a God of love.

God is not a God who loves.

God is love.

This means that everything God does is done out of love.

This means that everything God does in response to us is love.

Love does not mean always telling us what we want to hear.

Love does not enable us to live ungodly or in stupid ways.

Love means God does in relationship to us what is needed for us to be in His will and be conformed to the image of Christ.

It means that I don’t have to worry what God’s motivation is when He commands me to do something.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing God is love.

In John 1:14 we are told that Jesus is full of grace and in John 1:17 we are told that grace is given to us through Jesus.

Grace means that God loves us based on Him and based on nothing about us.   

It means that everything I have from God is a gift from God that I don’t deserve. It means I depend on God’s grace and not my rights.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing God is grace.

When I really believe that Jesus is truth, good, love, and gracious I will:

Trust Him

Live with No Fear

Fully Live for Him

If I don’t really believe that Jesus is truth or good or love or gracious I will:

Not Trust Him

I Will Live in Fear

I Will Live for Whatever I Think Will Fulfill Me

I know that life will be difficult at times, but know that the God that created you:

Will always speak the truth to you

Will always do good toward you

Will always love you

Will always pour our grace on you

Knowing You Can Trust Jesus, Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,

                                                  Joe