By LARRY P. STOVER | Praise Park Ministries Church of the Nazarene 

It would be simply amazing if people today would just take a step back and renew their understanding of the God of the Bible. He has been re-invented and metamorphosed so much that the typical understanding of the God of Abraham is at best very fuzzy for many.

God has been made so impersonalized through the years. He has been called, “the man upstairs,” and “the big guy in the sky.” Books have been written about him as being “dead” or someone not connected to us anymore.

Those of us who have studied the Bible for many decades see God as being omnipotent, awesome, sovereign and holy. His name speaks reverence and awe.

He is a very personal God who wants to have a very intimate special relationship with His creation on a daily basis. If you want to get excited about God, get to know him through the most powerful relationship you will ever enjoy.

God’s characteristics make him awesome. There are three basic characteristics of God that make him remarkable.

The first is “omnipotent.” It means that He is all powerful. He will do anything in keeping with His nature. Philippians 3:21 reminds us that He has the power to do anything. There is nothing too hard for Him to do. When we apply that to our lives, our faith sets Him free to do the impossible in every area. That’s amazing!

A second word that is often used to describe God is the word “omnipresent” which means that he is everywhere at all times. That is great news if we realize that no matter what is going on in our lives, the presence of God is with us. It also means that if we are being disobedient to him he is aware of that as well. We need to “let our light shine” at all times so that what we are doing is “glorifying our father in heaven.”

Another key word to describe God is “omniscient.” Simply stated this means that he knows everything. The Lord is not restrained by time. He knows all about our past, present and future. He is beyond amazing.

If I could re-introduce you to a Biblical understanding of God today, I would use the following ideas to steer you back to the truth of God’s word.

In the “wishy-washy” world in which we live, we need to understand that God does not change. Psalm 102: 27 reads, “You are always the same.” I never have to wonder from day to day where he stands on issues. It’s my job to align myself to his ways and walk in them.

He is a very gracious God giving us what we don’t deserve. Ephesians 2 reminds us of his saving grace when it says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” His unmerited favor places every one of us on the same plane. Regardless of our race, creed or socio-economic status, His forgiving love is extended to us in equal measure. We really are blessed!

One of the great dynamics of the Christian Faith is the idea of faithfulness. It is at the very heart of the nature of God. He is always faithful to His followers. It is an exploding cycle. The more we are faithful to Him, the more He is faithful to us. His faithfulness to His followers has no limits as it encompasses His mercy, love, and grace.

To live and function in the presence of a Holy God is an amazing lifestyle.  He is not “out there” as some would think, rather, He is close beside us encouraging and strengthening us for every situation that we face in life.

A personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ is the most exciting adventure one will ever experience in life. For some fifty-five years I have enjoyed that relationship. I would not trade it for anything in this world. If you have been living in doubt as to the reality and truth of the God of the Bible, there is no better time than now to rediscover the personal and life-changing God that will make your life “Simply Beautiful.”