WHO GOD REALLY IS

WHO GOD REALLY IS

HIGHER THOUGHTS, LOVING HEART

Key Scripture

📖 Isaiah 55:8–9 (NKJV)

"'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.'"

📖 Psalm 103:8–12 (NKJV)

"The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."

Introduction

There is perhaps no greater tragedy in the Christian life than to worship a God who does not exist. Many of us carry in our minds a distorted image of God—a caricature shaped by our experiences, our wounds, our culture, and our fears. Some see Him as a harsh judge, always waiting to punish. Others see Him as a distant deity, uninvolved and unconcerned. Some see Him as a cosmic vending machine, there to serve our every whim. Others see Him as a sentimental grandfather, tolerant of everything and demanding nothing. But none of these images match the God of the Bible.

The prophet Isaiah and the psalmist David give us two complementary revelations of who God really is. Isaiah declares that His thoughts and ways are infinitely higher than ours. David declares that He is merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love. Together, these passages reveal a God who is both transcendent and intimate—far above us in wisdom and power, yet near to us in love and compassion.

This teaching is for everyone who has misunderstood God. It is for the one who is afraid of Him. It is for the one who doubts His love. It is for the one who has projected their earthly father's failures onto their heavenly Father. It is for the one who has been angry at God because He did not do what they wanted. It is time to see God as He truly is. It is time to let His Word shatter your misconceptions and reveal the beauty, the majesty, and the love of the One who made you.

Biblical Truth

Isaiah 55:8–9 and Psalm 103:8–12 are two of the most profound revelations of God's nature in all of Scripture. They must be understood together, for they balance each other perfectly. Isaiah emphasizes God's transcendence—His otherness, His infinite wisdom, and His incomprehensible ways. David emphasizes God's immanence—His nearness, His compassion, and His covenant love. Together, they reveal a God who is both beyond us and with us.

Isaiah 55:8–9 is set in the context of God's invitation to the thirsty and the hungry: "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters" (Isaiah 55:1). God is calling His people to return to Him, to seek Him while He may be found. He promises forgiveness and restoration. But He also reminds them that His ways are not their ways. The Hebrew word for "thoughts" is machashabah, which means plans, purposes, or designs. God's plans are not our plans. His purposes are not our purposes. His ways are not our ways. The word for "ways" is derek, which means path, journey, or manner. God does not operate the way we do. His logic is not our logic. His timing is not our timing. His methods are not our methods.

The comparison is cosmic: "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." The distance between the heavens and the earth is immeasurable. It is infinite. That is the distance between God's wisdom and ours. This is not a reason for despair; it is a reason for worship. If God's ways were the same as ours, He would not be God. If we could fully comprehend Him, He would be too small. His transcendence is what makes Him worthy of our trust. We can trust Him precisely because He knows more than we do.

Psalm 103:8–12 is a song of praise for God's mercy. David begins with the character of God: "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy." These four attributes are the foundation of God's self-revelation. In Exodus 34:6–7, when God passed before Moses, He proclaimed Himself as "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth." This is the same language David uses. It is the definitive description of God's character.

The Hebrew word for "merciful" is rachum, which is related to the word for womb (rechem). It speaks of a deep, tender, maternal compassion. God loves us with the fierce, protective love of a mother for her child. The word for "gracious" is channun, which means to show favor, kindness, and generosity. God is not stingy with His love; He pours it out lavishly. The phrase "slow to anger" is erek appayim, which literally means "long of nose" or "slow to breathe." It describes someone who does not fly off the handle, who is patient and forbearing. God is not quick-tempered. He does not explode in rage. He gives us time to repent. The word for "abounding in mercy" is rab chesed, which means plentiful, abundant, and overflowing covenant love. God's love is not a trickle; it is a flood.

Then David explains what this mercy means in practice. First, "He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever." God does not hold a grudge. He does not stay angry. His discipline is temporary; His love is eternal. Second, "He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities." If God gave us what we deserved, we would all be consumed. But He does not. He withholds the judgment we deserve and gives us grace we do not deserve. Third, "For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him." Notice the contrast with Isaiah. In Isaiah, the heavens being higher than the earth speaks of God's transcendence. In Psalm 103, it speaks of God's mercy. The same immeasurable distance that shows how much greater God is than us also shows how much greater His mercy is than our sin. Fourth, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." The east and the west never meet. They are infinite in their separation. That is how far God has removed our sins. He does not just forgive; He forgets. He does not just pardon; He purifies.

What We Often Get Wrong

The first and most common error is that we create God in our own image. We project our human characteristics onto Him. We assume that He thinks like us, reacts like us, and loves like us. But God is not a bigger version of us. He is entirely other. His thoughts are higher. His ways are higher. His love is deeper. His mercy is wider. We must let God define Himself through His Word, not through our imagination.

Second, we project our earthly fathers onto our heavenly Father. Many of us had fathers who were absent, abusive, critical, or distant. We unconsciously transfer those traits onto God. We see Him as a father who is never pleased, never present, never protective. But God is not like our earthly fathers. He is the perfect Father. He is always present. He is always pleased with us in Christ. He is always protective. He is the Father we always longed for.

Third, we believe that God is angry with us. We see Him as a stern judge with a gavel, ready to strike us down the moment we mess up. We live in fear of His wrath. But Psalm 103 says He is slow to anger. He is not easily provoked. He is patient with us. He disciplines us, yes, but His discipline is the discipline of a loving Father, not the punishment of a wrathful tyrant. In Christ, the wrath we deserved was poured out on Him. There is no condemnation for us (Romans 8:1).

Fourth, we doubt God's love because of our circumstances. When life is hard, we assume God has abandoned us. When prayers go unanswered, we assume He does not care. When we suffer, we assume He is punishing us. But God's love is not measured by our circumstances. It is measured by the Cross. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." The Cross is the ultimate proof of God's love. If He gave His Son for us, He will not abandon us.

Fifth, we limit God's mercy. We believe that our sins are too great, too many, or too shameful to be forgiven. We say, "You don't know what I've done." But God's mercy is infinite. It is as high as the heavens above the earth. It is as far as the east is from the west. There is no sin too great for His grace. There is no failure too deep for His forgiveness. The blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin (1 John 1:7).

Sixth, we treat God as a means to an end. We use Him to get what we want—blessings, success, comfort, and protection. We treat Him like a genie in a bottle. But God is not a means to an end; He is the end. He is the prize. He is the treasure. He is the one we are to seek, love, and worship, not for what He gives, but for who He is.

God's Perspective

God views our misconceptions as a barrier to intimacy. He wants to be known as He truly is. He has revealed Himself in His Word, in creation, and ultimately in His Son. When we hold onto false images of God, we cannot have a true relationship with Him. We relate to a projection, not the Person. God wants us to know Him—not a version of Him, not a caricature of Him, but the real Him.

God's perspective is that He is infinitely better than we imagine. Our best thoughts of God fall infinitely short of who He is. He is more loving, more merciful, more gracious, more patient, more powerful, and more wise than we could ever conceive. Ephesians 3:20 says He is "able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think." The same is true of His character. He exceeds our expectations.

God sees His transcendence as an invitation to trust. Because His ways are higher than ours, we can trust Him even when we do not understand. We can trust His wisdom even when we cannot see the logic. We can trust His timing even when it does not match ours. We can trust His methods even when they seem strange. His transcendence is not a reason to be frustrated; it is a reason to rest.

God's perspective is that His mercy is the foundation of our relationship with Him. He does not relate to us based on our performance. He relates to us based on His mercy. He does not deal with us according to our sins. He does not punish us according to our iniquities. He loves us with an everlasting love. He forgives us completely. He removes our transgressions as far as the east is from the west. This is the good news of the Gospel.

God sees His character as unchanging. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). His mercy does not fluctuate with our circumstances. His love does not wax and wane with our performance. He is constant. He is faithful. He is immutable. We can build our lives on the rock of His unchanging character.

Practical Application

Study God's Attributes: Make a list of God's attributes as revealed in Scripture. Go through the Bible and note every description of His character. Meditate on each one. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you know God as He truly is, not as you have imagined Him to be.

Renounce False Images: Identify the false images of God you have carried—the harsh judge, the distant deity, the indifferent father, the cosmic vending machine. Confess them as idols. Renounce them. Ask God to replace them with the truth of His Word.

Preach God's Character to Yourself: When you are afraid, remind yourself, "God is merciful." When you are discouraged, remind yourself, "God is gracious." When you are angry, remind yourself, "God is slow to anger." When you feel unloved, remind yourself, "God is abounding in mercy." Preach His character to your soul.

Forgive Yourself as God Has Forgiven You: If God has removed your transgressions as far as the east is from the west, who are you to keep bringing them up? Stop punishing yourself for what God has already forgiven. Receive His forgiveness. Walk in it. Live in it.

Trust Him in the Unknown: Because His ways are higher than your ways, you will not always understand what He is doing. That is okay. Trust Him. Say, "Lord, I do not understand, but I trust You. Your thoughts are higher than mine. Your ways are higher than mine. I rest in Your wisdom."

Ask Yourself

What is my current image of God? Is it based on Scripture or on my experiences?

Do I truly believe that God is merciful, gracious, and slow to anger?

Am I living in fear of God's wrath, or in the security of His love?

Do I trust God's wisdom even when I do not understand His ways?

Have I truly received God's forgiveness, or am I still punishing myself?

Reflection

Who God really is changes everything. When you know Him as He truly is—high and holy, yet near and loving—you will never be the same. You will stop running from Him and start running to Him. You will stop fearing Him and start loving Him. You will stop doubting His love and start resting in it. He is not the God you may have imagined. He is better. He is infinitely better. His thoughts are higher than your thoughts. His ways are higher than your ways. But His mercy is also higher. His love is also higher. He has not dealt with you according to your sins. He has not punished you according to your iniquities. He has removed your transgressions as far as the east is from the west. He is merciful and gracious. He is slow to anger. He is abounding in love. This is who God really is. And He loves you.

Prayer

Father, I confess that I have misunderstood You. I have carried false images of You—images shaped by my experiences, my fears, and my wounds. Forgive me for projecting my own limitations onto You. Forgive me for doubting Your love. Forgive me for fearing Your wrath when You have poured it out on Jesus. Today, I choose to see You as You truly are. You are merciful. You are gracious. You are slow to anger. You are abounding in mercy. Your thoughts are higher than mine. Your ways are higher than mine. I trust You. I trust Your wisdom. I trust Your love. I trust Your timing. Thank You for removing my transgressions as far as the east is from the west. Thank You for not dealing with me according to my sins. Thank You for Your infinite, unchanging, everlasting love. Help me to know You more and more each day. In Jesus' mighty name, Amen.

Declaration

I declare that God is who He says He is. He is merciful and gracious. He is slow to anger and abounding in mercy. He has not dealt with me according to my sins. He has not punished me according to my iniquities. He has removed my transgressions as far as the east is from the west. His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. His ways are higher than my ways. I trust Him. I love Him. I worship Him. He is my Father. He is my God. He is my everything. I will not believe the lies of the enemy. I will not create God in my own image. I will know Him as He truly is. I will rest in His love. I will walk in His grace. I will trust in His wisdom. He is good. He is faithful. He is God.

Concluding Scripture

📖 Exodus 34:6–7 (NKJV)

"And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, 'The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin...'"