What God Is Like

“Mommy, what is God like?”  Most of us have attempted to answer questions like this while raising our children, and most of us have probably struggled to fully capture this teachable moment.  But this season of the year reminds me that we have more than enough answers to understanding what God is like simply by looking around at everything he has made.  In fact, Romans 1:20 tells us that we really don’t have any excuse for not understanding, “for since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made”.

 

So what can we know about God just from looking at nature?  Here are a few things I’ve come up with:  God is creative and he likes variety (have you ever been to a botanical garden or a tulip field or rose garden?); God is beautiful and likes to share his beauty with us; God is powerful (windstorms, thunder/lightning, etc.); God is glorious (“the heavens declare his glory” – Psalm 19:1 and “the whole earth is full of his glory” – Isaiah 6:3); God is dependable (patterns like seasons, crops, tides, etc. can be counted on to repeat continually); God is orderly and creates according to design; God is a provider (the natural order of animals provides for the survival of each); and God is unlimited (no two snowflakes or sunsets or people or flowers or animals are exactly the same).

Of course this is not an exhaustive list, but it’s more than enough to answer a child’s question.  And it’s more than enough for us to begin to trust the God who created everything we see.  Even if he hadn’t given us the gift of salvation through his Son (but he did!); and even if he didn’t provide for us every day of our lives (but he does!); and even if he doesn’t continue to bless our lives in the future (but he will!).  So let’s remember to look around during this season of new life that is popping up everywhere and notice the qualities of God that each of his creations exhibits.  He has truly made himself known and wants us to choose to know him better and trust him more while we enjoy his wonderful gifts to us.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!