God in a Single Word

Actually, if you want to see most clearly what God is really like, all you have to do is study love because the Bible says, “God is love” (1 John 4:8 ).

Many people equate God more with power than anything else. Though the Scripture clearly teaches that God has great power, I am not aware of a verse that says He is power, but it does say He is love.

These days the world’s idea of love has been so cheapened and twisted that for us to understand the kind of love God personifies, we must again go to the Bible.

First Corinthians 13 provides us with the description we need. It says

Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.

It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly.

Love . . . does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].

It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.

Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person; its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails. . . .
vv. 4–8 AMP

As you apply these verses to the character of God, initially you might be confused by the thought that God is not jealous or conceited, that He does not insist on His own rights or His own way.

“Doesn’t the Bible say that God is a jealous God?” you might ask. “Doesn’t it say that He expects us to worship Him and do things His way by obeying His commands?”

Yes, it does. But notice here it says love does not do those things out of self-seeking.

In other words, God isn’t jealous over us for His own sake but for ours. He knows that if we worship other gods or disobey Him in other ways, we’ll fall into trouble and get hurt.

He knows the devil is out there waiting to do us harm and He wants to protect us.

Everything God tells us to do is for our own good and protection. We’re His children and He wants us to obey Him because He wants to see us blessed.

That should be easy for us to understand. We’re the same way with our own children.

For example, we don’t tell them to stay out of the street just to prove we are boss.

We don’t make rules for them just to restrict them and make our own lives easier. We are trying to help them stay safe so they can live long on the earth and that things will go well with them (Eph. 6:1–4).

We love our children. It delights us to do good things for them. Most of us would like to prosper enough to give our child a new car when they get a driver’s license or a new home when they get married and start to raise a family.

But we can’t do that if they can’t be trusted to do the right thing.

If a child is rebellious and won’t keep the rules of the road, you won’t be able to give him a fast car because you know he could hurt himself with it.

If he won’t stay sober, you won’t be able to let him have a car at all. You want that child to abide by the wisdom you give him, not because you’re seeking your own good, but because you’re seeking his good.

You want him to obey you because that obedience will open the door for you to bless him.

According to Psalm 103:13 NASB, God is this way toward us: “Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.”

He wants us as His born-again children to do well in life. He is not trying to keep us under His thumb by making us worship and obey Him.

He is endeavoring to get us in the place where He can safely give us every good and perfect gift.

What’s more, the Bible reveals that God’s desire to bless us doesn’t just equal but surpasses our desire to bless our children.

Matthew 7:11 nkjv says, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"

Hallelujah

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