The Importance in Knowing the Characteristics of God

I am back to writing again and I am a new mama! Eek! I still can't believe I have MY OWN child.  There is so much on my heart these days but not enough time to write so getting this done felt like a huge accomplishment! I will be writing about how my journey on motherhood has been so far but for today, there is something I really feel God wants me to share with you because He shared it with me during one of my 3am nursing sessions so I know it was NOT my own thoughts in my delirious half asleep state😄

Holy Spirit began speaking to me about how one of the most important things a new believer can do is to learn the characteristics of God.  To know who God is and his nature.  To grow and establish a healthy relationship with Him. Doing so will help us to understand who He really is and allow us to enjoy Him and the relationship He desires to have with us.  It will get us through difficult times in our lives when things don’t make sense.  I believe one of the ways the enemy tries to thwart our relationship with God in the very beginning is to get us to question God.  One of the most popular arguments against God is “if He really exist (or if He really is God) then why do bad things happen?"  When we learn the nature of God we can trust Him in pain, loss and difficulties.  We understand who He really is and it protects our hearts against the lies of the enemy and the world. 

Here is a very practical way to look at it.  When you date someone you take the time to get to know them.  You go on dates and spend time with them, you ask them questions, who observe their character, you learn the person they are.  When we take the time to do the same with Jesus, God’s beautiful heart and nature are revealed to us.  We are in a much deeper relationship with God than we are with someone we date.  If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you His bride.  And the popular advice given to newlyweds for a successful marriage is to never stop dating your spouse – for the rest of your marriage, similarly we are to never stop learning and discovering who God is.  If you have been walking with the Lord for some time and you feel bored or like you have discovered everything there is to know about him, I would say you stopped seeking.  If we lived 1,000 years and sought him every day we could never learn all there is about God. 

When I was a new Christian I was so fascinated with God.  I still am, but the fascination was on overdrive.  I couldn’t spend enough time with him, I just always wanted more and more.  I would read the bible for four hour blocks at a time and only stop because it was time to sleep or do other survival things like eat and take care of errands. If I couldn’t be at home reading and praying I would listen to church podcast while I was driving.  While I was getting ready in the morning I’d listen to sermons.  At work I couldn’t wait for my lunch to get alone with God, to talk to Him and hear what He had to say back to me.  Doing this is where I was began to really learn who God is.  It allowed me to build a solid foundation with the Lord.  Now I still do most of what I listed above but it looks a little different now because I was single then and now I am married with a newborn and a stay at home mom so I don't get lunch breaks now so I pray while I rock my baby to sleep and read the bible while I nurse her. I also want to add that over time your relationship with God matures.  When I was newly saved I couldn't discern the voice of God.  But over years of doing what I listed above, I can not only discern His voice, but I could hear his whisper in a crowed room, or even in a crowed mind when my emotions are all over the place.  But the point I am trying to make is how crucial the beginning stages of getting to know Jesus are.  

In all the time I spent I saw so many facets of God.  And I still haven’t seen them all and I won’t until I get to see Him face to face in heaven.  All that to say – I got to know God, like really know Him.  I like to compare this to looking at a diamond with light shining directly through it.  When you shine light through a diamond and turn it you see light shining through the diamond from every cut and angle. There is so much light coming through it almost seems overwhelming and it sure is overwhelmingly beautiful! 

The next important thing to emphasize is my main source of learning the characteristics of God was through reading His Word and prayer.  The bible is the written Word of God, you will see His heart for you in it.  The Psalms was the first book in the bible I read and it was life changing.  Everyone starts somewhere different; it is common for new believers to start in the gospel.  I personally was drawn to the way God is revealed in the Psalms because its so poetic and relatable. I discovered God as my comforter.  I would cry out to him from a place of pain and brokenness and he comforted my so beautifully.  The list of who God is is endless and in each season of your life you have the opportunity to see those different facets of God.  In my life I have seen God as forgiving, merciful, gracious, my comforter, my Savior, my Shepherd, my Provider, my Healer, my Shield and Protector, my Best Friend, my True Love, my Counselor, my Father, my Vindicator, my Advocate, my Redeemer, and is just to name a few.

God is so beautiful and wants to show Himself to you.  I want to also add if you aren't a new believer and think it's too late for you to do this or you missed your chance it's a lie.  God is ready when you are.  If you truly desire to seek His heart and go deeper I say start today.  Why don’t you take some time right now to simply ask God who He wants to reveal Himself to you as in the season of your life? You will not be disappointed with His response 🧡

Annnnd...here is a picture of my Maddie, just because she is the best thing ever and so darn cute!!😍

Much love,

Cherise