How does the Bible describe God? part 4

Welcome again, my dear reader. This is part 4 of a series of seven articles that address the question, How does the Bible describe God? So let us continue from where we stopped in the previous article.

22. God is the God of salvation

The Bible describes God as a God of salvation. This means that God is able to save His people from life-threatening situations such as famine, chronic illness, the sword, and death, among others.

The ability of God to deliver from the threat of death is captured in the book of Psalm 68:20, which says

“OUR GOD IS THE GOD OF SALVATION, AND TO GOD THE LORD BELONG ESCAPES FROM DEATH.”

God can save you from evil people whose intention is to harm you. We read this in Psalm 140:4, which says

“Keep me, O LORD, FROM THE HANDS OF THE WICKED; PRESERVE ME FROM VIOLENT MEN, who have purposed to make my steps stumble.”

God can also deliver His people out of trouble, as recorded in Psalm 34:17, which says

“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and he delivers them out of all their troubles.”

God can also deliver His people from all that afflicts them, as recorded in Psalm 34:19. It says

“MANY ARE THE AFFLICTIONS of the righteous, but THE LORD DELIVERS HIM OUT OF THEM ALL.”

If you have sold yourself to the kingdom of darkness, the Bible tells us that your salvation will only come when you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. This is recorded in Colossians 1:13, that says

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”

Lesson for us: Whenever we face life-threatening situations, we should reach out to God in prayer. And as His word says, He has the power to deliver and save us from those situations, to the glory and honor of His name.

Psalm 50:15 puts it this way:

“CALL UPON ME IN THE DAY OF TROUBLE; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

Therefore, when trouble finds you, always begin by calling God instead of your parent, brother, sister, neighbor, workmate, and the like. Yes, these guys are important, and we need them, but first, always begin by reaching out to God. God is capable of delivering you out of trouble with no strings attached. And once delivered, always remember to give glory to God!

23. God is the God of the living

The Bible describes God as a God of the living. This means that even when the righteous die, they remain alive because of their righteous deeds. That is why the Bible talks of ‘the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob’ (Matthew 22:32).

Though all these died a long time ago, according to God, they remain alive, awaiting the resurrection of their bodies. In other words, though they are dead, their works still speak to us, instructing us how to walk in righteousness before God.

Jesus said that all who believe in Him, though they die, shall yet live. This is recorded in John 11:25, which says

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’”

This is a difficult saying, but it is the truth!

God is also a God of the living because of what Paul writes in Ephesians 2:1, which says

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.”

Who has been made alive in this case? It is those who have accepted Christ Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. These are no longer dead in their trespasses and sins but are alive, seated together with Christ in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:4-6).

Therefore, since God is the God of all believers, He is referred to as the God of the living, because all believers are ALIVE in Christ.

Lesson for us: As believers, we are counted among those who are alive. We should thus continue in good works so as to remain firmly established in the Kingdom of God.

24. God is the great God

The Bible describes God as The Great God. One of the things that manifests the greatness of God is CREATION. These include all the plant and animal species found on earth, angelic beings, the human race, heavenly bodies including the sun, moon, and stars, the solar system, and so much more.

In Psalm 96:4-5, the Psalmist declares the greatness of God over the gods of the nations by saying:

“For the LORD IS GREAT AND GREATLY TO BE PRAISED; He is to be feared ABOVE ALL gods. For all the gods of the peoples are IDOLS, but the LORD MADE THE HEAVENS.”

Thus, the MAIN REASON why God is greater than the gods of the heathen is because He MADE THE HEAVENS.

Psalms 19:1–2 captures the greatness of God in this manner

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork.”

God’s greatness is also captured by His GREAT ACTS on behalf of His people. Take, for instance, the great signs and wonders that God did in Egypt in order to liberate His people from bondage. This is captured in Deuteronomy 26:8, which says

“So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with A MIGHTY HAND and with an outstretched arm, with GREAT TERROR AND WITH SIGNS AND WONDERS.”

In 2 Chronicles 2:5, Solomon declares the greatness of God over the gods of the gentiles by saying:

“And the temple which I build will be great, for our God IS GREATER THAN ALL gods.”

Lesson for us: The God we serve is greater than any other god out there. His works attest to this fact, and we as believers are in safe hands.

The Bible calls us blessed because we believe in this one true God, the creator of heaven and earth. We read this in Psalm 33:12, which says

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance.”

This scripture applies to us because we, as believers, are the chosen generation, a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), and joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).

25. God is the One who demotes and promotes

This means that it is actually God who appoints an individual to a particular position and removes another from it.

We read this in Psalm 75:7, which says:

“But God is the Judge; HE PUTS DOWN one AND EXALTS ANOTHER.”

For instance, it is God who decides who should be President or Prime Minister of any given country. If you doubt this, let us read what the Apostle Paul penned in Romans 13:1. It says

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. FOR THERE IS NO AUTHORITY EXCEPT FROM GOD, AND THE AUTHORITIES THAT EXIST ARE APPOINTED BY GOD!”

This principle also applies in the corporate world. For instance, in any given company, it is God, through man’s vetting processes, who decides the person to serve as manager, director, accountant, cleaner, messenger, etc.

Daniel 2:20–21 puts it this way:

“Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And he changes the times and the seasons; HE REMOVES KINGS AND RAISES UP KINGS; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.’”

In the book of 1 Samuel 2:7-8, we come across the prayer of Hannah. In this prayer, we can see that it is God who actually has the final say on what we become. The scripture says:

“The LORD MAKES POOR AND MAKES RICH; He BRINGS LOW AND LIFTS UP. He RAISES THE POOR FROM THE DUST AND LIFTS THE BEGGAR FROM THE ASH HEAP, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory. ‘For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and He has set the world upon them.’”

This means that all your efforts to become rich are meaningless unless God has ordained that you will become rich!

This is what the Psalmist is telling us in Psalm 127:1-2. The scripture says:

“Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build; unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep.”

Therefore, never assume that your present success is the product of your abilities, education, intelligence, knowledge, understanding, or wisdom. Instead, always remember that it is God who has been working behind the scenes to get you where you are.

Lesson for us: All the reviewed scriptures point us to a God who is responsible for the various positions that men hold in society. If it pleases Him that you become the head of your organization, no man can stop that from happening. And if He decides to bring you down for whatever reason, then again, it will happen.

In other words, sometimes it is not about what we do, but instead, it is about what God and His counsel in heaven have decided.

A scripture I love to quote in connection to this theme is found in Ecclesiastes 9:11. It says

“I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; BUT TIME AND CHANCE HAPPEN TO to them all.”

Thus, it is not about how smart you are, or how educated you are; instead, it all depends on the chances God has prepared for you.

26. God is the King of all the earth

The Bible describes God as the King of all the earth. This implies that God is the overall ruler of the whole universe and all that is therein. We read this in several scriptures, including the following:

Psalm 47:7-8, that says

“For God is the King OF ALL THE EARTH; sing praises with understanding. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne.”

Zechariah 14:9

“And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be, The LORD is one, and His name is one.’”

Lesson for us: God is the overall ruler of the earth. Therefore, we should choose to worship and serve Him alone.

27. God is the salvation of Israel

The Bible describes God as the salvation of Israel. This means that God is the one who saves the nation of Israel from the hand of her enemies.

Jeremiah 3:23 attests to this fact by saying:

“Truly, in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains; truly, in the LORD our God IS THE SALVATION OF Israel.”

In Jeremiah 14:8, the prophet implores God to come to the rescue of Israel, as He is their only savior. The scripture says:

“O you hope of Israel, its savior in time of trouble, why should you be like a stranger in the land, like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night?”

Psalm 98:3 describes God as the salvation of Israel in the following manner:

“He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.”

The prophet Isaiah also speaks of God as the salvation of Israel in Isaiah 45:17. The scripture says:

“But Israel shall be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation; you shall not be ashamed or disgraced forever and ever.”

Lesson for us: God has been the salvation of the nation of Israel since it came into existence. In the Old Testament, He delivered them from the house of bondage in Egypt with mighty signs and wonders (Deuteronomy 26:8).

Later, He raised Kings to lead them in battles against the armies of their enemies. As long as the people kept God’s commandments, He made them defeat the enemy. However, when they rebelled against the commandments of God, He delivered them into the hands of the enemy. However, due to continued rebellion, God eventually sent the whole nation into exile, where they remained in captivity until the reestablishment of their nation in 1948.

Since then, the nation of Israel has continued to face many attacks from the enemy, whose agenda is to kick her out of the Middle East. However, God has continued to save Israel from all her aggressors, to the glory and honor of His name.

28. God is the strength of my heart

The Bible describes God as the strength of our hearts. This means that at our lowest moments in life, when we are just about to give up, God steps in and supernaturally empowers us to carry on.

Psalm 73:26 puts it this way:

“My flesh and my heart fail; But God IS THE STRENGTH OF MY HEART and my portion forever.”

In Isaiah 40:29–31, the prophet speaks of how God strengthens those who are fainthearted, weak, and weary. This is what the scripture says

“He GIVES POWER TO THE WEAK, and to THOSE WHO HAVE NO MIGHT HE INCREASES STRENGTH.”

In Isaiah 41:10, the LORD talks of strengthening His people in their moment of distress. This is what the scripture says

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I WILL STRENGTHEN YOU; yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

Similar sentiments are voiced by Prophet Jeremiah in the book of Jeremiah 31:25, which says

“For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.”

In Philippians 4:13, the Apostle Paul gives us a very powerful statement that we should always call to mind whenever our strength becomes small. It says

“I can do all things through CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME.”

Lesson for us: Our lives as believers are full of challenges that tend to sap away our energies, leaving us too exhausted to carry on. Nevertheless, the scriptures remind us that God has promised to strengthen us whenever our hearts fail.

Consequently, we should have the confidence that no matter how difficult life turns out to be, we can always lean on God’s strength to help us carry on.

One scripture that really builds me up when I feel like my strength is gone and I am on the verge of giving up is Ephesians 6:10. It says

“Finally, my brethren, BE STRONG IN THE LORD and in the POWER OF His MIGHT.”

This can be achieved by constantly meditating on two important things. Firstly, the Word of God, and secondly, the testimonies of how God has in the past fought your battles.

Conclusion

This article is the fourth in a series of seven that discuss how the Bible describes God. To read Part 3 of the article, kindly click the link provided below. Through these articles, we seek to examine what the Bible says about the attributes, character, nature, and traits of God. The main goal of this article is to deepen the reader’s understanding of the topic under discussion. It also seeks to add to the already-existing body of knowledge about the attributes and nature of God. It is my sincere hope that you will find it helpful. Thank you, and God bless you.

Related Post: How does the Bible describe God? part 3

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Are you a born-again Christian? If not, kindly say the following prayer from the bottom of your heart, and you will get saved.

Prayer to become a born-again Christian

“Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner and hereby ask for your forgiveness;

I believe in my heart and confess with my mouth that you are the only begotten Son of the living God.

I believe that you were sent by your Father to the earth to save sinners like me.

I now accept you as my personal Lord and Savior.

Come into my heart and baptize me with The Holy Spirit.

Thank you for saving me.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

Amen!”

Congratulations friend! You are now a born-again Christian!

Welcome to the Family of God!

Benediction

“The LORD bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.”

(Numbers 6:24-26)

Shalom.

Source: https://www.biblegateway.com/