He restores.
Joel:2:25: And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten,
the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which
I sent among you.
It always amazes me that God is so restorative. Our failings are incredible
at times. We stumble, He picks us up. We walk wide-eyed into disobedience;
He accepts our repentance. We forcefully exert our will over His: He looks
for us to come with contrite and sincere heart and puts us back on the path.
What an amazing God!
He gives life.
Genesis:2:7: And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Life is precious. As Father, God is the number one producer of life. He is
all about life and life lived more abundantly than we can imagine. Every
item He touches comes to life. He is about abandonment of death and entry
into life. He is about aborting disease and enlivening our mortal bodies.
He is about life.
He loves.
Lamentations:3:22: It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed,
because his compassions fail not.
Psalm:11:7: For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance
doth behold the upright.
Psalm:33:5: He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the
goodness of the LORD.
Psalm:34:12: What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that
he may see good?
Psalm:37:28: For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints;
they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
God is LOVE. There is no doubt about that. He is a constant dispenser of
mercy, compassion, empathy, aid, love, and forgiveness. Whatever name or
language you use, love brings warmth to our soul at the slightest mention.
"I love you," spoken by anyone lightens the load and brightens the face.
Love gives us boldness and confidence. God is LOVE.
Genesis Revelation: Genesis 15:8: And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I
know that I shall inherit it? 9: And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of
three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years
old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. 10: And he took unto him all
these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against
another: but the birds divided he not. 11: And when the fowls came down upon
the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12: And when the sun was going down, a
deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon
him. 13: And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a
stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall
afflict them four hundred years; 14: And also that nation, whom they shall
serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
15: And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a
good old age. 16: But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again:
for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. 17: And it came to pass,
that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and
a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. 18: In the same day the
LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this
land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
God is surprising in His action. Who would have envisioned Him as a burning
firepot? Who would have predicted Him to go through such an elaborate
experience with Abraham? Watch His actions. What is He revealing about
Himself? Is He showing that He is attentive to cultural understandings and
will reveal Himself in whatever manner it takes? Is He challenging our
temporary understanding of Him? Do we always look for Him in the trappings
of our religious experience and history and maybe miss Him when He visits?
Jesus Revelation: John:13:15: For I have given you an example, that ye
should do as I have done to you.
What a joy! Jesus shows us the Father. Jesus is a walking example of