Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
What comes to mind when you think about God? In his book, The Knowledge of the Holy, Tozer says this is the most important thing about us. What comes to mind when we think about God? And I'll be honest, for years I struggled with making my image of God this image that I wanted Him to be dependent on what I was feeling or what I was going through, or what I thought was best for myself.
So when it was seasons of struggling with sin and just not being able to break bad habits, all I wanted to do was see God as merciful, that He would always pour out forgiveness and just kind of ignore those bad parts of my life. But then when there were times that people would sin against me, or they were doing things wrong, all I wanted to do was to have a God of justice. I became this Jonah asking God to pour out His wrath on these heathens.
God Never Changes
And that's not to say that God doesn't meet us where we're at, but it is a reminder that God never changes. Whether you're struggling or somebody else is struggling, every day He is the same. Every day He is both just and merciful. Every day He is both close and above all. Every day He is our friend and the God of the universe to be feared and reverenced.
See, God doesn't change, but what we believe about who He is in any given season of our life will influence how we approach Him.
Paul's Understanding of God
At the beginning of his letter to Timothy, Paul expresses his deep gratitude for his calling to ministry, but he also acknowledges that he was a sinner. He was a persecutor against not only Jesus's church, but Jesus Himself. He was a blasphemer, stuck in his ways, unwilling to repent. But then in our verse today, he writes to the young leader Timothy, and he says, All honor and glory to God forever and ever. He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies. He alone is God.
See, Paul could have got caught up in his past. He could have thought of all of his sins, making others a martyr for the sake of the kingdom, and turned inward and found it hard to approach God. But it was his understanding that God is both just and merciful that allowed him to approach God in confidence. If he had only seen God as merciful, he would have written off all of his transgressions and ignored them as something that were okay. But if he only saw God as just, he never would have come to this nearness that allowed him to be used so mightily for the kingdom of God.
Growing in Your Understanding of God
And so what we believe about God will affect how we approach Him. Who He is in our lives will affect our relationship with Him. So my encouragement for all of us is get to know God. Spend time reading His word. Spend time in prayer, having those beautiful conversations with Him, and see how your understanding of God will grow. And as it does, your love for Him will grow, and your worship of Him will become more powerful than you could ever imagine.
