11/23/2025
"What is man, that You are mindful of him, or
the son of man, that You care for him?"
Psalm 8:4
During the 9 days preceding and up to Thanksgiving, the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) invites participation in a short devotional study. This year the study is about the Character of God, and each day we are considering an attribute of God and exploring how we are to interact with Him. At the end of the devotional there are questions as to how we identify with the lesson and how we grow closer in our relationship with our Father. We have so many reasons to be thankful, and concentrating on God's character is a great way to show our thanks and share with others in the group what gratitude looks like. This journey began on the 19th of November, so I am late in sharing this walk with my readers, and it will not end until Thanksgiving Day. Sometimes I think it is good to look in retrospect, stop and think, putting things into perspective - God's perspective, not my own. And yet, some of my own, as there are questions with many mysteries within the Word of God.
On Day 1 we were asked what we were looking most forward to in this adventure. What are my expectations? Am I struggling in my understanding or relationship with God, the Father, or who He is? One response is that I feel challenged to look more closely at the persona of God, Yahweh or YAH. Recently I was asked to read a short book based on an experience a woman had where she visited heaven and hell. Reading about what she saw and references to the appearance of God, as He is not in a bodily form, but He is Spirit, I became more thoughtful concerning the appearance of God and the intermingling colors of light surrounding His being. It's hard to explain, except to say that in God's greatness, in His creation of the galaxy and the entire universe, of which we are only aware of a small fragment, even with our advanced space exploration and technology, I gained a greater insight into how He reflects His creations in the colors around and within His form. We are so limited in our concepts and ideas, and my imagination, although it is beyond, beyond HUGE, still what I envisioned when I read her account was mind-blowing. As for any struggle I may have with God personally or our relationship, all I can say is that I am humbled that He would even consider me. And yet, I know that this is only because of Jesus. I know He loves me, and I know I am made in His image, but I also know that the only way I became His daughter is through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, His Son, on the cross when He gave His life for mine. Because I believe, and because I accept this wonderful gift of salvation, I will spend eternity in the presence of Abba, my Father in Heaven. With this time on our hands, in place where there is only forever, I will see a great many things my finite mind never imagined or even dreamed.
On Days 2 - 4 the Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient character of our Father was consider as we walk through the Scriptures. God Almighty is an all-powerful God, and there is nothing He cannot do. The folks at CBN quoted from A.W. Tozer's book, The Knowledge of the Holy, and being a Tozer fan, I feel that he puts things nicely into perspective regarding God's Omnipotence:
“To reign, God must have power, and to reign sovereignly, He must have all power. And that is what omnipotent means, having all power.”
and the Scriptural reference given:
“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things” (1 Chronicles 29:11).
In considering that God is all-powerful, so nothing is beyond His reach or scope, I was asked if there is any great challenge in my life right now that I need to surrender into His hands, knowing that He IS all-powerful, so I will not feel defeated. Naturally, my thoughts always run to my children who all are facing great burdens with illness, finances, and the concerns of life. They have experienced great brokenness, and they each are dealing with their feelings in their own way, often without seeking the Lord's support. Knowing that they have been taught the truth gives me confidence that God is in control. My children all belong to Him, and I know that they will be okay, because He said they would. So, I trust His way of bringing all things to pass.
God is Omnipresent meaning He walks beside us, and He never leaves us or forsakes us. Many times in Scripture the psalmist will ask God "Where are You?" although perhaps not in those exact words. We can see this characteristic so often spoken of in Scripture:
"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast." (Psalm 139:7-10)
"'Am I only a God nearby,' declares the LORD, 'and not a God far away? Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?' declares the LORD. 'Do not I fill heaven and earth?' declares the LORD" (Jeremiah 23:23-24)
Borrowing from A.W. Tozer again, he says, “The word present, of course, means here, close to, next to, and the prefix omni gives it universality. God is everywhere here, close to everything, next to everyone." And we see from Jeremiah, God makes the declaration of the same, so who can debate with the veracity of God's word! He is who He says He is, and that settles it! Psalm 119:89 states that His word is "forever settled in heaven."
Have you ever felt a time in your life when you felt God was absent from your life or not listening? or distant? Do you have memories of feeling His presence?
I've been privileged to experience His presence on so many occasions, as I was sharing with my younger son today. I reminded him of times when our life was in danger, and God divinely and miraculously intervened. There's no imaginable explanation for it. All I know is that I experienced it, and my children as well. I am always asking Abba to remind them of these times, and I ask for Him to make His presence manifest in their lives when I know the struggles are at their peak. I pray this same prayer for leaders in government, church, community and for individuals and groups. I want everyone to experience the greatness of His all-consuming, loving presence that brings one to their knees in awe and fear of the Lord. I pray it now for whomever may read this blog and need a touch from Abba, a reassurance of His mercy, grace, and unconditional, all-embracing love. He wants you to ask Him to draw near to you and you to draw near to Him.
God is Omniscient declaring that He is all-knowing! Remember I just shared the scripture from Psalm 139, which emphatically stresses the point that He knows all and sees all. He is the God of all creation, Lord of life, who breathed His Spirit into ours. Although hearing these words, or even reading them, does not always give understanding, as there are many people who think God does not see them, when we read right here that He most definitely does. That is one reason people question the need to repent if God already knows, but it has been said that "Confession is good for the soul," and I would voice a healthy "AMEN" to that truth.
I remember when my mama told me that I was not going to be able to go to a ball game with my high school friends, because one of my friend's boyfriend was going to drive, and it was an "away" game, meaning in another area of the State. Well I was persuaded to go, with the belief that my mama would never find out. Well, things happened with the car while traveling. Nothing major, but I felt such conviction of Holy Spirit that I ran to the clothesline where she was hanging up clothes and spilled my guts. I was crying and truly sorry for deceiving her. I was so tender in those days. She didn't punish me, because I think she realized I had suffered enough. Back in the day I wasn't allowed to date until I was 15 and then only a double date. My daddy had to meet and talk to everyone I went anywhere with, and that's a good thing. I knew where my children were supposed to be and with whom they hung out with, or so I thought. I have learned since that deceptions runs in families, or perhaps, it's just part of the human fall from creation. But knowing where our children are and with whom is so important, especially in this cyber-age in which we live.
I thank God for His wisdom in teaching us His Word and how to properly discern the truth from studying and growing in our personal relationship with Him. There are so many times in my life that I wish I had talked to Him more and listening a lot more than I did. I pray for parents and children today, and the list grows longer as the days go on. Please, Abba, open the eyes of those who think they know, but who in truth know so very little. According to Your Word we see through a glass darkly, and we need Your guidance. Praise God for Holy Spirit dwelling within us.
Until tomorrow, share this information with others who may be in need of reassurance today. I'll continue tomorrow. Until then ... Selah ... and Shalom.
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