What we know about God is critical for life and how we face our challenges, difficulties, and tests. God’s nature and character gives us a basis for our faith and trust.
In the Book of Isaiah, God was speaking words of comfort to His people. He was telling them their warfare was ended and their iniquity was pardoned. God promised that every valley would be lifted and every mountain would be brought low. He said the crooked places would be made straight and the rough places made smooth.
Anyone can make promises. For these things to happen, the Lord our God must be able to do them. We need to know and trust God’s nature and character.
Isaiah 40:25 NKJV “To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.
God is encouraging His people to know Who He is. God told His people to look up to the heavens and take note of the hosts of the stars.
Isaiah 40:26 NKJV Lift up your eyes on high, And see Who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing.
God wanted His people to examine the hosts of heaven and know that He created all these things. God said, “Not one is missing.” Apparently, some of God’s people thought that God could not see what was happening to them. The distress of their troubles caused them to question if God was able to help them. We need to keep this is mind when we are faced with circumstances and situations that seem out of control. You should repeat those words, “Not one is missing.” It is a testimony of God’s faithfulness, power and sovereign control. “Not one is missing.”
Isaiah 40:27 NKJV Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: “My way is hidden from the Lord, And my just claim is passed over by my God”?
We should all consider this if we think that God is not watching over us. Don’t think for a moment that God is not watching your ways and does not hear your prayer or claim. To counter their questions and doubts, God spoke about His nature and character.
Isaiah 40:28 NKJV Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
Take note of what is said about the Lord our God.
- He is the everlasting God.
Time does not change the Lord our God. He is not diminished by time, but remains the same. He is the same today as He was when He created the universe. God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.
- He is the Lord and Creator of the ends of the earth.
The Lord our God is omnipotent and inscrutable. Omnipotent means all powerful. Inscrutable means beyond comprehension. He has all power and His ways are beyond our ability to know. We should not attempt to put limits on God Almighty.
- He never faints or grows weary.
God is able to meet the needs of His people regardless of how great their troubles may be. He is able to save, heal, and deliver.
Watch this next verse carefully.
Isaiah 40:29 NKJV He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Strength and power are a gift of God. God is the One Who sustains and helps His people. God is able to lift them up and sustain all of His people. The concept of this is hard to fathom. You are not out of His mind or outside of His reach.
Isaiah 40:30 NKJV Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,
The prophet said human strength and stamina cannot compare with what the Lord can give. In the day of trouble, distress, or conflict, even youths faint and become weary. They become feeble and stumble and fall from exhaustion. God wants you to know that you can rely on Him in the hour of trial.
Isaiah 40:31 NKJV But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Here is the message. God wants you to keep your eyes on Him.
You can trust God’s nature and character.
- You can trust God’s veracity – integrity – honesty or truthfulness.
God is true to His word. He cannot lie for He is the Truth. When God speaks, you can trust that His word will come to pass. God has sworn or made an oath that what He says shall come to pass. What God says will happen. We know that it will happen because God is True and all powerful.
- You can trust God’s Omnipotent – power.
The Lord your God is the Almighty God. He does not grow weak or weary. He is able to save to the uttermost. You should remember God’s mighty power. He can do everything and anything that is not contrary to His nature. God is able to do anything, not just some things. Consider the diversity of God’s abilities and power.
- By the word of the Lord, the heavens were made, and the hosts of them by the breath of His mouth, (Psalms 33:6).
There is a vastness to this power. He is able to do absolutely anything and everything He is willing to do.
- God’s power is not only able to create, He upholds, maintains, guides and propels the universe by His mighty word of power, (Hebrews 1:3).
Some people can do some things… but God can do all things good. You can trust Him because God is true, His power is superior, and He has all knowledge.
- You can trust God’s omniscient — knowledge and wisdom.
Job said, “He knows the way that I take.” Since God knows the beginning and the end, His counsel stands.
Jesus told John, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last,” (Revelation 1:8; 21:6; 22:13). God is not limited to current knowledge. He knows eternity past and future instantly, thoroughly and accurately.
Can you imagine what it would be like to have perfect recall of everything that you have ever known? That would be wonderful, but God also knows everything that will ever happen or be.
What does that mean?
When we go through the fire, the Lord knows how to pull us out. He knows the way we should take when we go to the right or left. God doesn’t just know our past and future, He knows all things perfectly. His omniscient knowledge is magnified by His truthfulness or veracity. God has the power and knowledge to do whatever He says. When He says He will do it, nothing can keep it from happening. No devil or demon can hinder God from performing His word and will. No time or space, difficulty or dilemma can keep God from performing His word.
- You can trust God’s immutability – He does not change.
God does not change in power, wisdom, goodness, truth, righteousness, grace, love or mercy.
- If God kept His promise to Abraham, He will keep His promise to you.
- If God was true and faithful to Moses, He will be true and faithful to you.
- If God was able to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, He can deliver you from your oppressors.
- If God could part the Red Sea so that Israel could cross on dry ground, He is able to make a way for you.
- If He could keep Daniel and the three Hebrew children, He can keep you.
- If God can stop Goliath, He can stop your giant.
- If He can calm the troubled sea for the disciples, He can calm your troubled waters.
God can still stop the mouths of lions. He can provide for all your need.
Open your Bible and you will discover the nature and character of God.
- Our God is holy, pure and righteous.
- He is good, merciful, and kind.
- The Lord our God is righteous in justice and gracious and merciful in salvation.
- He is the Lord God Almighty.
- He reigns in power and great glory.
- He is surrounded by His own holiness and goodness.
- His supply is never depleted by the magnitude of our need.
- He is able to help you in every situation and condition.
- You can trust the Lord and feed on His faithfulness.
In every Book and story in the Bible, you can find something marvelous about the Lord our God.
- He is our Savior and Healer.
- He is our Shield and Defense against the enemy.
- He is the God who supplies all your need by His Own riches in glory through Christ Jesus.
- He is the Deliverer of His people.
- He is the Holy and Righteous One.
- He is King and Lord.
- He is Mediator and He is Mighty.
- He is the Beginning and the End.
Nothing precedes Him and nothing is after Him.
- He is the only uncreated God.
- He is our Shelter in the storm.
- He is a very present help in trouble.
- He is Hope of Israel and all who believe.
You can trust God’s nature and character.
Psalm 18:2 NKJV The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalm 18:3 NKJV I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.
Psalm 34:4 NKJV I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.
This is a constant message in the Psalms. You can come to God. You can trust the Lord God with everything. His eyes are on the righteous. His ears are always open to their cry. (Psalms 34:15) The arm of the Lord has been revealed to save, (Isaiah 53:1).
You can trust God’s nature and character.
