What do We Really Think of God?
One question for faithful Christians is our definition of God; how do we understand our Heavenly Father, and how do we introduce Him to unbelievers? We know that God is omnipresent and omniscient and omnipotent … but He may also seem distant. As I think back to my childhood in the church, this was one of my challenges. I believed that Jehovah God created the universe; Yahweh stood as a pillar of fire between Pharoah’s army and the Israelites; and God so loved the world that He sent Jesus to die for mankind. God was everything good and powerful and loving, yet He seemed distant and impersonal.
Thankfully, my view has changed and improved over time. Several scriptures tell us that God the Father wants a personal relationship with us, but let’s consider John 15.1-4. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the Gardener … every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful … Remain in Me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.”
My God and Father loves me individually, and He wants me to glorify Him by producing more fruit in my life. In this verse, pruning is a positive action taken by the Gardener. God knows me, He knows what’s best for me, and so He prunes me. God knows you and wants to prune some things in your life as well.
One more passage: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose … What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8.28, 31)
We read this verse and take comfort that God will work everything out for the best for (all) those who love Him. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” But when I bring Jehovah God into my individual life, I understand that my God and Father is personally interested in me. Then this verse becomes a personal rally cry!
“If God is for me, who can be against me?” We have an all-knowing and all-loving Heavenly Father that we can introduce to unbelievers who sorely need to know Him.