God Speaks for Himself

God Speaks for Himself: Discover the Ways of God Disclosed in the Word of God –The Holy Bible’
By: Doug Nelson, Project 773918

‘Is there a ‘God’? The first question doubters ask is whether or not there is a ‘god’. If there is no ‘god’ then, of course, it would be impossible to discover the ways of a ‘god’ who doesn’t exist.

We need not be left wondering when we look up into the heavens and ask, “Is there a God, or did all this just happen?” You might say God has surrounded us in nature with his self-portrait! In the Bible it is stated that “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 that men are without excuse. (Rom 1:20 (NIV)

The word ‘God’ appears in the NIV translation of the Bible 3,670 times, and his name ‘LORD’ appears 6687 times. The point has certainly been made by these inspired authors of Scripture: the LORD God exists! It is unconscionable to conclude that the authors of Scripture wrote with pen and ink over 10,350 times about a ‘god’ who doesn’t actually exist.
Some people are willing to concede that there must be a ‘god’ if the word ‘god’ and God’s Name come up thousands of time in the Bible, but then the question becomes, “Is there anything that can be known about God?”

The authors of the Bible didn’t set out to prove the existence of God, but to affirm his existence. Moses stated that God has thoroughly searched the heavens and come to this conclusion: “Know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no ‘god’ was formed, nor will there be one after me.” (Deut 3:24) The jury is no longer out; the verdict is in. The research has been done and is available to everyone. It is the Holy Bible. We can know what there is to know and believe about God because of the disclosure of his ways in Scripture. God himself inspired 40 authors to write about his ways over a period of 1500 years. No, God doesn’t keep us guessing about his existence.

One day a father came home and found his young daughter sitting at the dining room table drawing with her crayons. “What are you drawing?” he asked. “I’m drawing a picture of God”, she said. “Honey, no one knows what God looks like.” “They’ll know when I get done!” The mystery of what God ‘looks like’, and is like, is solved for anyone who is willing to open Scripture.

The wonderful truth is that the Bible is the inspired self-disclosure of the invisible God who has made his ways known in the world –at least to humble people who are willing to believe the scriptures. Jesus -the Son of God- has visibly shown us the ways of God. In turn, God's Holy Spirit enables us to replicate his ways in our daily lives. When all is said and done it is possible not only to know about God but to know God and to love him with all our heart, and mind, and soul.

God’s ‘ways’ are many and glorious. All his ways are perfect, complete, and unchanging. As we’ll see in detail God is ‘holy’ (wholly sinless). This is simply the way God is. God is also at the same time, and all the time ‘righteous’ –always doing the right thing. It is also God’s way always to be ‘true’ to himself, to his Word and his world. God is totally ‘Just’ in all his decisions. This, however, is all tempered with the fact that God is ‘love’ –unconditional love, unfailing love, and unlimited love. Consider also God’s amazing ‘grace’ (his saving grace); his tender ‘mercies’; his ‘goodness’ to a fault! From all these ways hope springs eternal in the human heart!

John in his vision of Heaven heard the saints there singing, "Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages." (Rev 15:3)

Show me your ways, O LORD!
Psalm 25:4