Who is your God? What kind of a God do you serve? How does knowing Who your God is make a difference? How can you know God in the middle of a crisis?
Although Job served God faithfully he experienced the worst trouble imaginable. We have no record that Job ever understood the true source of his trouble, which was Satan’s determination to bring harm to God through hurting his children. Even in the midst of his trouble Job spoke what was right about God. (Job 42:8) And yet Job still repented “in dust and ashes” once He had seen and heard from God for himself. (Job 42:5-6)
God did not condemn Job for asking the tough Why questions. He didn’t berate Moses, David, Jeremiah, Habakkuk, or others of His friends for doing the same. Even Jesus asked Why at His most desperate moments. (Matthew 27:46)
As it did for Job, coming to know Who your God is can change things. The right thing to do with your questions is to point them toward God Himself. It helps to turn your Why questions into Who questions. Your immediate circumstances don’t always change, but your internal life always changes when you can grasp more of Who He is.
Knowing God more is a process that never ends. Can you say you know Him as God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit? How’s your relationship with these Divine Persons we know as God? (Remember, these three Persons are so much in unity we are told to think and speak of them as One God. (Deuteronomy 6:4)
God the Father
You know that “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) God is the ultimate Source. Everything about Him is love. He cannot act or be other than out of His nature of Love. Based on Jesus’ life on earth, we can see God as a Father who truly loves His children.
God is holy, just, right, perfect. (Deuteronomy 32:4) God is not a mixture of good and bad, dark and light, Yes and No. (2 Corinthians 1:20, 1 John 1:5)
Do you know God from His nature of love, light, and rightness? Love not in the mushy sentimental sense, but in the sense of loving you so much that He will not give up until everything is set right, including you. We know from Scripture that not everything right now is as God would have it. But we also know that God will not stop until everything is made right in the end regardless of how things look today.
Do you know He loves you? Really truly deeply loves you? Cherishes you, delights in you, will not give up until He has you with Him forever?
Heavenly Father, I need You! I worship You. I love You. Let Your love fill and surround me. And out of Your love, have mercy on Your children in this world. Bring evil to an end quickly, for Your Name’s sake. Let Your love wash all fear from my heart, and flow through me to others around me. Amen.
Jesus the Son
Most Christians know Jesus as the Lamb of God, Divine Sacrifice for sin. And He is! Praise Him! He is also Healer, Conqueror, our Example, and so much more.
Have you experienced Jesus fighting for you? His blood, His name – they are powerful! (Revelation 12:11) Speak His name. Plead His blood.
The Old Testament often speaks of Wisdom as a Person. Many scholars believe this speaks of Jesus. And Paul speaks of Jesus as the Wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:24)
Jesus also knows you intimately. He’s experienced what it’s like to be tempted, wounded, lonely, deeply distressed. He’s not simply looking on from on high; He identifies with your plight from His personal experience.
And He is your Healer. Not primarily in some magical momentary sense, but in the deep permanent sense of doing in you what needs to be done so you can become who He created you to be. Some of that happens here and now, and some of that will be completed in eternity. But His presence heals you physically, emotionally, spiritually.
Jesus, I need You! I invite You right into the middle of this mess. Minister Your healing presence to me and those around me. As Conqueror, show Yourself strong against this virus and the evil behind it. Be my Wisdom in knowing what to do next. I speak Your name and I plead Your blood over my own life and those I love. Amen.
The Holy Spirit
Comforter. Gift-Giver. Empowerer. The One who prays for us. (Romans 8:26) The One who works in us to make us into “the image of His Son.” (Romans 8:29) We’ve barely begun to fully understand what it means that the Holy Spirit is here on earth right now.
Where do you need comfort? What have you lost? Grieving those losses is healthy, and in that process we need comfort. There’s something deeper than words can express about the comfort the Holy Spirit brings. (John 14:26, 2 Corinthians 1:4)
God does not expect you to do everything, but He calls you to do something. What do you need in order to accomplish what He needs you to do? The Holy Spirit fills and fits you to accomplish that. It’s not by might or power, but by His Spirit. (Zechariah 4:6)
The Holy Spirit also provides us the down-payment, the guarantee, of what is to come. Right now is not as good as it gets! There is a future we can be more certain of than anything concerning this pandemic. And that future will be glorious! The Spirit assures us of that. (Ephesians 1:14)
Holy Spirit, I need You! Please minister to me Your comfort so I can grieve my losses. Please fit me and empower me with what I need to fulfill God’s purpose for me right in the middle of this crisis. Remind me of all that Jesus said and did, and be the assurance in my soul that the coming glory, when God makes all things right, will be worth it. Amen.
This is only a sampling of what it means to truly know God. May you keep your eyes on God Himself, and come to know Him much more deeply as you walk through this crisis with Him.
Your Turn: In a crisis, how do you see God? How well do you know Him – as Father, as Jesus, as the Holy Spirit? In which dimension do you need to know Him better? Leave a comment below.
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- Knowing Who your God is makes a difference in a crisis. In the crisis we are in right now, do you know Him as Father? As Jesus? As the Holy Spirit? Here’s what that can look like. Tweet that.
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