“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”Psalm 90:2 (KJV)
Eternal and all-powerful
The Bible opens without arguing for God's existence. It simply begins, “In the beginning God…” (Genesis 1:1). He is “from everlasting to everlasting” (Psalm 90:2): without beginning, without end. He is the Creator and Upholder of everything that exists, from the Okanagan's orchards to the farthest galaxy.
He is also all-powerful (“I am the Almighty God,” Genesis 17:1), present everywhere (Psalm 139:7–10) and all-knowing. Nothing about your life surprises Him.
Personal, not distant
Yet the God of the Bible is not an impersonal force. He speaks, listens, remembers and feels. Psalm 139 describes a God who knows when we sit down and stand up, who understands our thoughts “afar off.” He made human beings “in his own image” (Genesis 1:27) so that we could know Him and be known.
Jesus taught His followers to pray to “our Father which art in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). That single word, Father, changes everything about how we approach Him.
What God is like
When Moses asked to see God's glory, God described His own character: “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth” (Exodus 34:6). The apostle John summed it up in three words: “God is love” (1 John 4:8).
Jesus said, “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9). If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus touching the leper, welcoming children and forgiving those who crucified Him. That is the Father's heart.
Coming to Him
The Bible says that “he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). You don't need to have everything figured out to begin. You just need to come. A Bible study is a simple, honest place to start.
Questions for reflection
- Read Psalm 139:1–12. Which verse surprises or comforts you most?
- How does the picture of God as “Father” change the way you pray?
- What does Exodus 34:6–7 reveal about God's character?
- Why do you think Jesus said seeing Him was seeing the Father?