What is your concept of God? In other words, what is your Heavenly Father like to you? I remember years ago writing a lecture for our training program on “Concept of God.” As I researched, studied the scriptures and wrote the lecture I remember thinking, “How can you describe God in one lecture?” The more I studied about God the more I realized I did not know as much as I thought I did. Most of us have distorted concepts of God because we have been influenced by our imperfect earthly parents and other authority figures in our lives. Most of us have also received distorted images of God from the churches we attended. When I ask some of my counselee’s to describe God I can honestly say to them, “No wonder you can’t trust a God like that!” If we see God in a distorted fashion we will struggle in our relationship with Him. I love the following words from Hannah Whiteall Smith in her book, “The God of all Comfort.”
God said, “Moses, tell the children of Israel that my name is “I am that I am.” In the gospel of John Jesus adopts this name “I am” as His own. When the Jews were questioning Him He said, “Before Abraham was I am.” I am what? What does this “I am” include? I believe it includes everything the human heart longs for and needs. The unfinished name of God seems to me like a blank check signed by a rich friend given to us to be filled in with whatever sum we may desire. God tells us through the pages of His book what He is. “I am all that my people need. I am their strength. I am their wisdom. I am their righteousness. I am their peace. I am their salvation. I am their life. I am their all in all.” This apparent unfinished name, therefore, is the most comforting name the heart of man could devise, because it allows us to add to it, without limitations, whatever we feel the need of and even exceeding abundantly beyond all that we can ask or think.”
What do you need from God today? He is saying, ” I am your____________. ” You fill in the blank. I would also encourage you to search the scriptures for verses to back up what need HE is meeting in you today. His word will affirm and increases your faith.
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