What is God Like – Part 2

The Genesis record says that God actually walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden that He made for them. Later we see God walking with Enoch, speaking with Noah, calling Abraham, wrestling with Jacob and appearing to Moses in the burning bush. We see this throughout the Old Testament in events like these and in many others like: God giving His people His law, sending the prophets, performing great miracles and inspiring the Bible. It is readily apparent that God desires that His people know Him—that they know what He is like.

We see this in Acts 17:26-28 where Paul said,
“From one person God made all nations who live on earth, and he decided when and where every nation would be. God has done all this, so that we will look for him and reach out and find him. He isn’t far from any of us, and he gives us the power to live, to move, and to be who we are.”

One of the clearest ways we see God revealing Himself to us is in the fact that He placed within every human being a HUNGER to know Him.

In Jeremiah 24:7 God says, “I will give them—people like you and me—I will give them a heart to know Me [a longing to know Me]—that I am the Lord.” Because of this part of our “wiring” I believe all  people know in the depths of their being that there is a God. They may not admit it but they know God is there!

This is WHY even atheists cry out to God in times of crisis. God put the knowledge of His existence in our hearts. Writer Anne Lamott was raised by her dad to be a devout atheist. He even forced her and her siblings to agree to a contract to that effect when they were two or three years old. But Anne started backsliding into faith at an early age. She testifies,” Even when I was a child, I knew that when I said ‘HELLO,’ someone heard.” She knew this because God has wired an “invitation” to know Him in our minds.

J. I. Packer refers to this and says, “What were we made for? To know God. What aim should we set ourselves in life? To know God. What is the best thing in life, bringing more joy, delight, and contentment, than anything else? Knowledge of God.”

Well, Packer is right—we are made to know God —created this way by our Creator—Who for some unfathomable reason loves us—and wants to be known by us.

Hope 103.2 is proudly supported by

John Ortberg wrote a book called “God is closer than you Think” and he shares his impressions of Michelangelo’s painting of God and Adam on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

He says, “If you look carefully at the painting, you notice that the figure of God is extended toward the man with great vigour. He twists His body to move it as close to the man as possible. His head is turned toward the man, and His gaze is fixed on him. God’s arm is stretched out, His index finger extended straight forward; every muscle is taught. Before Michelangelo, art scholars say, the standard paintings of creation showed God standing on the ground, in effect helping Adam to his feet. Not here. This God is rushing toward Adam on a cloud, one of the ‘chariots of Heaven,’ propelled by the angels. It is as if even in the midst of the splendour of all creation, God’s entire being is wrapped up in His impatient desire to close the gap between Himself and His man. He can’t wait. His hand comes within a hairbreadth of the man’s hand. Apparently one of the messages that Michelangelo wanted to convey was God’s implacable determination to reach out to and be with the person He has created.”

We also see God revealing Himself to us—reaching out to us—in our CONSCIENCE.

You see, all people are wired with a sense of right and wrong—a code of ethics. Think of it—even as a child you knew it was wrong to hurt people and right to help  them. Your parents only reinforced this moral code. Well who gave it to you in the first place? What is this magnetic pole that pulls the needles on the compass of your conscience—if not God?

Max Lucado says “You aren’t alone with your principles. Common virtues connect us. Every culture has frowned upon selfishness and celebrated courage, punished dishonesty and rewarded nobility. A universal standard exists. Just as a code writer connects computers with common software bundles, a common code connects people. We may violate or ignore the code, but we can’t deny it. Even people who have never heard God’s name sense His law within them.”

Romans 2:15 says “There is something deep within humanity that echoes God’s ‘YES’ and ‘NO,’ right and wrong.” (The Message) So—ironically when atheists decry injustice, they can thank God for the ability to discern it. The conscience is God’s fingerprint…further proof of His existence and character.