Too many people think they know God when the truth is they don’t know Him at all. They may know a little bit about Him but that is not the same as knowing Him in a personal way. People blame God for their problems but take the credit when all is going well in their lives. People don’t know right from wrong and this blinds their eyes from knowing who God is. The Bible says: “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth” (1 John 1:5-6).
Who is God? First of all, He’s everything you need to live a good life. David wrote : “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1). There are many names for God in the Bible and each one represents something good that He does. When a baby is born, God is there because He is the “giver of life” (1 Timothy 6:13). If you are having a peaceful day, God is there also because He is the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). God is everywhere at all times and you need to become more aware of all that He is doing in your everyday life. My friend, in the Bible, names have great meaning. They represent who a person is and what they are like. Abram was a man who had no children and, when God called him, his name was changed to Abraham meaning “father of many nations” (Genesis 17:5). You can know God in a more intimate way by studying His names in the Bible that reveal His character and who He is and what He is really like. Knowing God should be the biggest desire of your heart. You see, even after writing most of the new testament, Apostle Paul said “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10). Like Apostle Paul, the determined purpose of your life should be to know God and have a daily experience with Him, to recognize and know when He is working in your life to be able to give Him all the glory He deserves.
My brother, my sister, when you understand who God is, it will change your life and your walk as a Christian for “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17). Also remember that when God revealed Himself as Jehovah Tsidkenu, the people were anything but sinless. In fact, they were in the process of being sent to exile and captivity for their constant sin and unfaithfulness to the Lord. In the midst of all this devastation, God still comforted the people by revealing Himself to them in a new way that would carry them through the tough times ahead. The promise given to the people of Israel was that He was going to send a Messiah, one who would sit on the throne of David again and provide a permanent solution to sin. This prophecy was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.
My friend, Jesus’ righteousness has become your righteousness so stand in awe of Him. Learn to know who Jesus is. Bow down in reverence to Him. Call upon the Lord your righteousness today. His arms are wide open to you. The Bible says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17). Jesus and His righteousness is a gift to you from the Father above. Embrace Jesus with all your heart and soul. He is your shepherd. In Him, you shall not want for He is everything you need. Stay blessed in Jesus’ name.