I want to introduce you to someone unique about whom you have heard lies all your life. You will not believe the truths I will share with you.
They say
He is distant and uncaring.
He is critical and judgmental.
He is impossible to please.
He abandons those that he claims to love
He expects you to follow the rules and judges you when you don't
He is harsh and unloving.
He is angry all the time.
He wants to harm or hurt people.
To be his friend, he requires blind allegiance
With him it is tit for tat, karma, you do this and can expect this
The truth
He is merciful and compassionate.
He genuinely cares about people.
He never abandons His friends.
He loves you more than a mother could ever love her children.
He is good and kind
He is gracious, generous, and loves to give favors.
He is indulgent or overly lenient, like a grandparent who spoils their grandchildren.
He loves unconditionally.
He is loyal and faithful
He is love.
My Testimony
For too long, we have allowed religion and rebellion to paint us a picture of God that leaves us wondering if He really loves us. We see Him as austere, distant, demanding, and hard to please.
We live in denial because we would never say these things out loud, but we feel them deep in our hearts and think them in our pain. We know in our heads that God loves us—God loves everyone—He is love, but we wonder if He really likes us.
We even read His name with a bit of trepidation. We know He is holy and unattainable. We fear Him like our angry father. We know He is always watching us, ready to discipline, destroy, and judge us.
This is simply not who He is. Did you know He took the time to tell us who He is?
What God says about Himself
Notice what He says about Himself out loud to Moses:
I am merciful
I am gracious
I am long suffering or patient
I am abundant in goodness and truth
I keep mercy, keep on being merciful
I forgive iniquity, transgression, and sin
I still do not ignore sin, though I am so good.
Questions for you
When you think of God, do you think of great patience and great mercy, or has your heart been told a lie about God and His character?
Is the God you think of full of compassion, gracious, and super generous in mercy and truth, or have you thought He was harsh and judgmental?
This God we are talking about is quick and ready to forgive. Does it take a lot to make Him angry? Would you think of Him as a God of great kindness, or do you see Him in a harsher, meaner light?
Do you see God as full of compassion and good to all or angry, judgmental, and demanding?
Do you realize the whole story of Jonah is based on the fact that he knew God was ridiculously kind and loving? Jonah would have loved to see God destroy Nineveh, his people's mortal enemies, but he knew God would forgive them instantly if they simply believed and acted on the message.
Conclusion
Nothing has been sweeter than getting to know God better over the last few years. I needed the time alone in the Word of God. I needed to see God for who He is. The God you know and hear preached may well be a caricature. Be sure to dig deep and learn the truth.