Month: November 2021

Devotional

How Do You Picture God? – Part 3 of 3. Know Who God Really Is, and Thank Him

kathrynhugheswriter

And the LORD passed before [Moses] and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and fourth generation.” Exodus 34:6 NKJV (Emphasis mine)

Happy Thanksgiving! As we know who God really is, we find He is so worthy of our gratitude and praise!

Moses wanted to see the LORD. The LORD said Moses couldn’t see Him face to face, but He honored the request and hid Moses in the cleft of a rock so he could see the LORD pass by him. The LORD proclaimed to Moses, and us, some of His character traits: merciful; gracious; longsuffering; abounding in goodness and truth; forgiving; just, as He doesn’t clear the guilty except through the blood of Christ.

Merciful. The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. Psalm 103:8 NLT

Patience, longsuffering. Jesus patiently corrected His disciples when they didn’t understand or were distracted by other things like their own position. He didn’t give up, even knowing that one would betray Him. The Lord dealt with Israel’s disobedience and lack of trust as the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years. He still patiently and lovingly cared for them and protected them. God knew before He ever saved them from slavery that they would be unfaithful, just as He knows we will fail and fall into sin. God is long-suffering and doesn’t quit on us, either. Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus. Romans 15:5 NKJV

Forgiving. But the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him. Daniel 9:9 NLT

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV

Jesus showed that He had the power to forgive sins. A paralytic’s friends wanted Jesus to heal their companion. With no room to get through a crowd to Jesus, they tore up part of the roof and let the man down through the hole they had made. When Jesus saw their faith, He told the paralytic, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” The scribes and Pharisees questioned, “Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who is able to forgive sins but God only?” When Jesus perceived their questionings, Jesus said, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” –he said to the man that was paralyzed- “I say to you, rise, take up your bed and go home.” Immediately the man was healed. He picked up his bed and went home glorifying God. Luke 5:17-26 RSV

Righteous. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. Romans 3:21-22 NIV 

Photo of Sunflowers by Kathryn Hughes

There is so much to know about the Lord. The more we know Him, the closer we will be to Him, and the more thankful we will be. Let’s list the things we are thankful for, starting with the character traits of God Himself. Thank God for each item on our list. If each petal on a sunflower represents something we are thankful for, how full will our sunflowers be?

What are you thankful for? Please share. I’d love to see a long list on the comment section of my blog.

Thank you, Lord God, for being You. Thank you for being the God of mercy, love, forgiveness, righteousness, and patience. Thank you for abounding in goodness and truth. I can trust You in all things. May I be quick to give You thanks and praise. In the name of Jesus, my Savior, I pray. Amen.

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Thank you for joining me and for reading my devotional blogs.  Blogs post every other Thursday. Past devotionals are archived for your convenience. The previous devotional follows this one on the web page.

Devotional

How Do You Picture God? Part 2 of 3

kathrynhugheswriter

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Galatians 5:22, 23 RSV

How do you picture God? What is He like?

In How Do You Picture God? Part 1 of 3 (below this devotional), I listed some of the attributes of God, as revealed by His Son, Jesus Christ. In our challenge to find character traits of God in Scripture, what did you find out about God?

Let me share some of the Lord’s attributes and character traits that I discovered.

The character of God is revealed in the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit are exhibited in the believer who is following after the Holy Spirit and not following the flesh. It’s not something we go out and get like we were at a market, but it comes from within as we are yielded to God.

Fruit of the Spirit by Kathryn Hughes

Jesus was and is God, and wholly yielded to His Heavenly Father. Jesus produced the fruit of the Spirit in His life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

Love. Jesus’ love for us brought Him to earth and to the cross to pay our penalty for sin. It was the Father’s love for us that had Him give Jesus for us.

Joy. Jesus wants us to share His joy in our lives. “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:10-11 NKJV

Peace. Jesus had peace, even when He was dealing with difficult people. He desires peace for us. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27 NKJV

Kindness. Blessed be the LORD, for He has shown me His kindness… Psalm 31:21 NKJV

Faithfulness. I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great assembly. Psalm 40:10 NKJV

Gentleness. Consider the gentleness that Jesus showed to the woman caught in adultery. She expected to be stoned to death, according to the Law.  Jesus stooped and wrote on the ground. He told her accusers “He that is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” Scripture doesn’t say what Jesus wrote. I wonder if it was a list of their sins, for her accusers left from oldest to youngest. Jesus asked her where her accusers were. “Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” John 8:3-11 ESV

There is so much more about God we can learn. May we know God better every day.

How do you picture God? Has your image of Him changed by looking at His Word? What additional traits have you discovered? I would love hear from you in the comment section.

Dear LORD, Please show me who You really are. Reveal Yourself to me as I search Your Word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Top Photo by Monstera on Pexels.com

Thank you for joining me and for reading my devotional blogs.  Blogs post every other Thursday. Past devotionals are archived for your convenience. The previous devotional follows this one on the web page.