God IS...

Key Verse: Hebrews 11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (ESV)

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (KJV)

    I used to tease a friend of mine that his girlfriend did not exist because I had never met her. He said she would be hanging out at the house, but when I would get home, he said I just missed her. Our paths never crossed, so I began to think he was making her up. It happened so frequently that we had a running joke.  

    However, I actually knew she existed long before I ever met her. Why? The way he talked about her, described her, and say her name left an impression that she was real. Also, the way he began to change his behaviors, his diet, and his appearance testified to the reality of this “mystery” girl.

    It didn’t take much for me to believe she was real. I finally met her, and they are now married. It’s a cute story, however it teaches us something true about our relationship with God.

God IS…REAL

    It begins with faith, trust, belief. Faith that God does exist. God is real. I shared the ESV and the KJV verse today, because I grew up on the KJV and memorized Hebrews 11:6 in the KJV. I love the way it says “must believe that he is.” 

    In order to come to God, you must first believe that God IS, that he exists. We may not be able to see him with our eyes (John 20:29), but we can see the evidence of God all around us in nature, in others, and in his Word. Psalm 8 and 19 point us to the beauty of creation. Psalm 139 reveals the hand of God in how God made us and has a plan for us. Its basic and foundational, but acknowledging the existence of God is the starting point. 

God IS…a REWARDER

    The author of Hebrews boils faith down to two elements, God exists and God gives rewards to those who seek him. God is real and he is gracious. God is knowable and relatable. God delights to give good gifts to those who love him (James 1:17). 

    God’s ultimate reward is the forgiveness of sins through his Son, Jesus Christ. God gave Jesus in the ultimate display of love and kindness, inviting sinners into a right relationship with him. 

God IS…REVEALED

    God has disclosed himself on the pages of Scripture and throughout creation. Romans 1 tells us that nature declares the existence of God. John 20:30-31 tells us what was written was so that we might believe in the revealed Son of God.

    Several years ago, I wrote a lesson on the names of God. Each name of God in the Bible reveals a layer of who he is. Some of the names of God have been transliterated from Hebrew into English, such as Elohim, or Jehovah Jireh. And others have been translated into English, such as God Almighty, or the God who sees. Either way we state them, when we pause and recognize the names of God and what they reveal about God, we will be drawn closer to him because they are his revelation to us. 

    I was struck by the name El-Roi, or the God who sees, when reading about Hagar and Ishmael in Genesis 16. In her distress, Hagar cries out to God and he sees her and rescues her. Hagar is not Sarah, she was not the woman of promise. Her participation in Sarah’s plan led to frustration, hurt, and isolation. Sin does that. Yet God sees her in her affliction and compassionately cares for her. El-Roi reminds us that he hasn’t forgotten about us, he is aware, and he will rescue us. 

God IS…TRANSFORMING

    Those who know God, who are in a right relationship with Jesus, will be changed. Knowing God is different than just knowing about God. The difference is between information and transformation. Information alone makes you smart and you can pass the test. Transformation changes you and makes you wise. 

    Knowing God in a personal relationship is the difference between a caterpillar and a butterfly. Like my friend dating the “mystery” girl, the evidence of a changed life, changed behavior, and changed appetite demonstrated the reality of someone in his life. Likewise, a changed life is testimony to the reality of that God IS to the world around us. Knowing God exist should lead you to be aware of his presence in your daily life and cause you to joyfully obey him in whatever you do!