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Reflections: Discovering what God is like

“Mommy, what’s God like? Have you ever seen him?” asked 5-year-old Addie.

“No one has ever seen Him,” said Mom.

“Then, how do we know what He is like?” asked Addie again.

“That is a very good question,” said Mom. “Let’s think about the things we do know about God and see if that helps us understand a little bit about what He is like.”

“In Sunday School they told us that God created everything,” began Addie.

“Great starting place,” said Mom. “Give me some examples.”

“I guess,” said Addie, “that He created the world.”

“The mountains and lakes too?” asked Mom.

“Yes,” said Addie,” and the silly looking giraffe!”

“How about the elephant with his long trunk?” asked Mom.

Then Addie giggled and said, “At school one day, they showed us a picture of a fish called a red-lipped bat fish! He looked like he’d gotten into someone’s lipstick.”

“The examples we just gave can give us a glimpse of what God is like,” said Mom.

When we consider God’s creation, from the tiniest pygmy blue butterfly that is only 0.5 inch in length to the blue whale that can weigh over 300,000 pounds, we should be in awe of what God is like. God created all that was necessary for us to enjoy sunrises, sunsets, mountains, lakes and trees. He created the sights and sounds of delicate birds, vibrant rainbows and vast landscapes that can overwhelm our senses. The most amazing part is that He did it all with a simple phrase: let there be…and there was! God is indeed creative and caring to give us so much!

Not only has God created and sustained, He continues to interact with His creation, including us, in present times and promises the same in the future. Nothing is ever out of His control. Nothing ever takes Him by surprise. Nothing is a secret to Him. Nothing in the past was too much for Him to handle. Nothing in the present overwhelms Him. Nothing in the future frightens Him. What is God like? He is amazing, loving and beyond our understanding! With a God like that, why don’t we have more joy, peace and rest in our souls?

Let’s take a challenge this week that first, we observe God’s creation around us. Let us then spend little if any time asking for things in our prayers but rather, ponder all God’s goodness in our lives in the past, present and the future, thanking Him and praising Him for who He is and what He has promised.

“I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:1-4 NIV) “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27 NIV) Let’s build our relationship with God so that we can show our world the joy and light that this God brings into our lives. “…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16 NIV)

Helen McCormack is from Minot. Her book, “Ordinary Life, Extraordinary God” which contains about 1/3 of the devotionals written for the Minot Daily News for over 20 years, is available online or by contacting her at jesusisthereason01@gmail.com.

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