Who God Is – His Character

God Listens to His People

He does not ignore the cries of the afflicted(Ps. 22:23-24).  The poor will eat and be satisfied(Ps. 22:26).  He hears cries for mercy, strength and protection(Ps. 28:6-8).  He answers those who seek Him(Ps. 34:4).  He listens to the poor(Ps. 34:6).  He heard David’s cry(Ps. 40:1).  He answers when called(Ps. 138:3).

God’s Unfailing Love – Ps. 31:21-24; 33:5; 57:9-10; 89:1, 14; 92:2; 101:1; 108:4; 115:1; 138:2; 144:1-2; 145:13

One of the most often cited and foundational aspects of God’s character is His unfailing love.  His love endures forever(Ps. 100, esp. v. 5; 118:29; 136:1-26; 138:8).  He crowns His people with love(Ps. 103:4).  He is abounding in love(Ps. 103:8).  His love is great(Ps. 103:8; 117:1-2).  He loves those who fear Him(Ps. 103:17).  He is rich in love(Ps. 145:8-9).  Love is Who God is.  Love motivates God’s actions from the time of creation through everything He has done since then.  It was His love for people that caused Him to create a plan of salvation/redemption that culminated in His Son, Jesus, dying on a cross for our sins so we could be forgiven(John 3:16).  He is loving and faithful(Ps. 57:9-10).  He shows His wonderful love(Ps. 31:21-24).

God Is Strength – Rock, Fortress, Deliverer – Ps. 18:13

God is strong(not weak).  We praise God because He is strong and He uses that strength for the benefit of His people(what good is a strong God who never does anything for His people?).  We see God’s strength in creation(Gen. 1) doing all of that for people.  We saw His strength used to destroy the world with a flood, while saving the righteous(Gen. 6).  He delivered Joseph(Gen. 39:21-23), David(I Sam. 17) and others.  He blessed many of Israel’s/Judah’s kings who were faithful to Him(II Kings 19:34-36 – God saved Hezekiah and Jerusalem).  He delivers His people from their fears(Ps. 34:4).  He delivers those who fear Him(Ps. 34:6).  He helps in time of trouble(Ps. 40:1).  He gives power and strength to His people(Ps. 68:35).  He guards the lives of the faithful and delivers them from wickedness(Ps. 97:10).  He provides victory over enemies(Ps. 108:13).  He is a helper(Ps. 118:7; 124:8) and shield(Ps. 115:9).  He is my strength(Ps. 118:14).  He made David bold and stout-hearted(Ps. 138:3).  He preserves life(Ps. 138:7).  He is a fortress, stronghold, deliverer, shield and refuge(Ps. 144:1-2).  He lifts the fallen(Ps. 145:14).  He watches over those who love Him(Ps. 145:20).  He upholds the oppressed and vulnerable(Ps. 146:7-9).  He preserves the faithful(Ps. 31:21-24).

God Is Faithful – Ps. 111:7

With so many people being so unfaithful, it might be difficult to fathom God’s faithfulness, but He IS the embodiment of being faithful.  He is not just faithful today(Ps. 89:1, 14), but His faithfulness will last forever(Ps. 100:5; 117:2; 118:1).  Regardless of what else might happen or what we might do, He will keep His word.  He will keep His promises(Ps. 89:34-37).  He never changes(Ps. 102:27).

God Is Compassionate

When we turn away from God by sinning, we rightly deserve His condemnation and judgment.  And God would be perfectly just to banish us from His presence forever(evildoers will be destroyed – Ps. 92:7; this is commonly referred to as Hell).  He does not treat us as our sins deserve(Ps. 103:10).  But God loves us and wants what is good for us(being with Him is infinitely better than being without Him).  As a result, He has compassion on and for people.  He helps us to escape death(Ps. 68:20).  He removes our transgressions far from us(Ps. 103:12).  He forgives sin, heals diseases and redeems people(Ps. 103:1-4).  He is compassionate and gracious(Ps. 103:8. 13; 145:8-9; 116:5).  He is full of compassion(Ps. 116:5).  He is compassionate to His people(Ps. 135:14).

God Is Just and Righteous – Ps. 89:14; 111:7; 116:5(righteous); Ps. 97:2; 101:1; 7:17

God is just and that should be comforting, but it might not be.  He brings low those who are prideful(Ps. 18:27).  His word is right and true(Ps. 33:4).  If He judges with equity, righteousness and truth(Ps. 96:10-13), that means that the ungodly and unrighteous will be judged harshly.  Psalm 11 states that God hates the wicked and those who love violence(Ps. 11:5).  What will God do?  He will reign down fiery coals and burning sulfur(Ps. 11:6).  However, He is also slow to anger(Ps. 145:8-9).  He does not want to punish people.  His anger is short, but His favor lasts a lifetime(Ps. 30:4-5).  He wants people to be forgiven of their wickedness, but justice requires that the wicked be punished.  However, God had a plan in place, a plan which would find fulfilment in His Son, Jesus.  That plan would provide the opportunity for sinners to be forgiven.   He wants people to live in His presence(Ps. 102:28).  He delivers justice for the oppressed(Ps. 103:6).

God Is Good

He is good to all(Ps. 145:8-9).  This is important because a Creator of the universe who is evil would be terrible.  But God is good(Ps. 100:5; 116:12; 118:1, 29; 135:3).  Everything He does is good, even when we might think otherwise.  Our lack of knowledge and/or wisdom can cloud our understanding of good and evil, but God is only good.

Other Things God Does

He does marvelous things(Ps. 72:18).  He gives light and joy to the righteous/upright(Ps. 97:11).  He provides for those who fear(respect) Him(Ps. 111:5).  He remembers a covenant that He makes with people(this does not mean He ever forgets it, but instead that He is faithful in doing what He said He would do)(Ps. 111:5).  He provides redemption(i.e. He “buys back”) His people(Ps. 111:9).  He provides wisdom and understanding to those who listen to Him and do what He says(Ps. 111:10).  He protects the simple-hearted(Ps. 116:6).  He delivers a person’s soul from death(Ps. 116:8).  He keeps a person from crying(i.e. sadness).  He keeps us from stumbling(not a literal, physical stumbling, but rather He helps us to avoid sinning and separating ourselves from Him by letting us know what sin is)(Ps. 116:8).  He gathers His people to Him and binds their wounds(Ps. 147:2-3).  He sustains the humble(Ps. 147:6).  He grants peace(Ps. 147:14).  He provides counsel(Ps. 16:7), referring to the guidance that He provides to people.   He turns darkness into light, meaning that He helps people to understand life so they are not living like they cannot see in darkness.  He turns sadness into joy(Ps. 30:11).  He loves righteousness and justice(Ps. 33:5).  God helps(Ps. 28:6-8).

Summary

This has merely been a sampling of who God is.  God’s people should proclaim to the nations(i.e. everyone else) Who He is(and by that, I mean Who He really is, as opposed to the abbreviated versions of God that so many people espouse).  He is eternal(i.e. from everlasting to everlasting)(Ps. 102:27).  He is greater than all other “gods,” who are not really gods(Ps. 135:5).  All creation should praise Him(Ps. 148:14), as He provides a delightful inheritance(Ps. 16:6).  To the extent that we can, let us be like Him.  Let us follow in His steps(and yes, those are some HUGE shoes to fill).  But let’s try anyway.  And let’s not give up.