The God we worship and serve has many names, each reflecting vast attributes. We address Him as Abba, Father, while simultaneously revering Him as El Shaddai, the Lord Almighty. He is known as Immanuel, Elohim, and Adonai. He bears names such as Yeshua, Jehovah, and El Elyon. His creativity, spanning the heavens and the earth, is unmatched and His ways and thoughts are beyond human comprehension.
God is revealed to the Body of Christ as an uncreated Triune being, manifested as God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Just as God is triune, so too are we, made in His image and likeness, with a triune nature comprising of body, soul, and spirit. Our intricate design enables us to connect with God through every facet of our being and as a result, our existence exists as a fusion of the intricacies and complexities found within both the visible and invisible realms.
Personally, when I contemplate the incredible creativity displayed by humanity across various eras, from the construction of ancient pyramids to the current advancements in technology like robotics and genetic editing, it fills me with awe and wonder towards God. Observing the vast spectrum of remarkable skills and talents exhibited by individuals across diverse fields—be it singing, dancing, sports, entertainment, medicine, craftsmanship, engineering, food artistry, and beyond—one cannot help but marvel at the unique essence of each person as no two persons are born equal. The gifts, talents, and capabilities inherent within human beings are not arbitrary happenstance, but rather deliberate endowments bestowed by God, the ultimate creative Creator, long before our inception in the womb.
I won’t even begin to explore the realms of animals and nature, a distinctive essence of creation that predates humanity. What remains undeniable is the presence of a Creator in this world, and as believers, we should feel profoundly blessed that His Spirit resides within our temples.
As we journey through the Bible, traversing from the Old Testament to the New Testament, we uncover how God chose to reveal Himself to both men and women, collectively and individually. The way God expressed His presence to David differs from His revelation to Abraham. The unique anointing bestowed upon Samson contrasts with that granted to Solomon. God’s interaction with Sarah differs from His engagement with Hagar, just as His communication with the woman at the well diverges from His interaction with the Canaanite woman.
Today’s blog serves as a solemn reminder to never put God in a box. We should never imagine ourselves to be so spiritual that we confine God within the limits of our understanding. Regardless of how deeply we delve into the Word of God or how closely we believe we walk with our Sovereign Father; we must remain mindful that it is God who chooses to reveal the mysteries He deems fit for us to comprehend. Every aspect of our knowledge and understanding of God is a result of His divine revelation to our spirit, not our intellect.
1 Corinthians 2:10-13 (NIV):
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.
As we explore the annals of the Bible, we discover that God bestows rain upon both the just and the unjust, all while choosing individuals according to His own purposes and extending mercy to whomever He wills. While affirming that God remains constant—unchanged yesterday, today, and forever—we acknowledge the limitations of our human minds in grasping the full meaning of this “sameness.”
This is the same God who crafted creation in six days, the same God who enacted judgment through a global flood, and the same God who sent His son Jesus Christ to take on human form and sacrificially redeem an undeserving humanity. He is the same God who graciously endured the rebellion and stubborn rejection of the Israelite people He had chosen for Himself.
This is the same God who kicked Satan out of heaven after he committed treason and the same God who guided the Israelites as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Therefore, when we declare God’s unchangeability, it prompts us to earnestly seek a profound understanding of who He truly is. The Lord has the power to make a donkey speak or to communicate through a burning bush when necessary. We cannot confine God or assert that we only know Him to speak or act in specific ways. He is not limited to the manifestations recorded in the Bible; it serves as a guide that is sufficient but not exhaustive. This is why it’s crucial not to suppress the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit should be the primary and most active agent in the life of a Christian.
Just as the vastness and incomprehensibility of God’s sameness are beyond measure, so is the multitude of ways in which He chooses to reveal Himself. Attempting to confine God to a singular expression is perilous. God’s self-revelation is intricately tied to the purposes for which everyone is created, their unique circumstances, the embedded promises in their bloodline, specific prayer requests, intercessions made on their behalf, their servanthood, their honour, and the promises made directly to them, among other factors. While collective knowledge of God is attainable through His Word, there exists a dynamic and personal dimension where individuals may intimately know God in ways He has not expressed to others.
Consider the scenario where religious individuals attempt to persuade Balaam that his donkey never spoke because such an occurrence was deemed unheard of. Picture people feeling envious of this unique encounter and attempting to coax God into speaking through animals to them simply because Balaam had that experience. Sadly, this mirrors the behavior observed among some churchgoers in real-life situations. There are those who are inclined to believe that an experience is not genuinely of God if it hasn’t personally happened to them.
Genesis 32:30 (NIV):
So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
Job 42: 5-6 (NIV):
My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.
Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.
Numbers 12:6-8 (NIV):
“When there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions,
I speak to them in dreams.
But this is not true of my servant Moses;
he is faithful in all my house.
With him I speak face to face,
clearly and not in riddles;
he sees the form of the Lord.
Why then were you not afraid
to speak against my servant Moses?”
Our stance should never be one of presuming familiarity with how God relates to us, but rather, we must remain open to the possibility of God manifesting Himself differently to others and to us in different seasons. This underscores the importance of not becoming entrenched in religious rituals, but instead, cultivating an intimate familiarity with the voice of God.
Walking in the Spirit, rather than in the flesh, ensures that we remain attuned to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Consider the people of the Old Testament era who could not anticipate the profound events of the New Testament and beyond unless God unveiled them. This highlights the error of the Pharisees and Sadducees, who prioritized their interpretations of the Torah over the voice of God. Despite their diligent study of the books of Moses, they failed to recognize Jesus Christ in the flesh—an unimaginable oversight.
God values relationship over mere rituals and He tells us in His Word, ‘obedience is better than sacrifice.’ Any rituals we perform must be a direct reflection of the relationship we share with God and our obedience to His will. Performing rituals in the absence of relationship is futile and it flags one thing – our motives.
On a personal note, my story is one of knowing God as a Rescuer, Teacher, Transformer, Defender and Disrupter, delivering me from my own folly, ignorance, and rebellion. It was God who first loved me and pursued me, prompting my decision to respond to His call. Further to me answering the initial call, I can testify that God never stops calling us. In this race, one really needs perseverance because the race is not static but rather it is always evolving as one advances. As we journey on the narrow path, we must have total reliance on the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the illuminating truth of His Word so we do not ever miss the mark and get disqualified.
While my personal experience with God identifies Him as a Disrupter and Rescuer, others have an unwavering knowledge of God as a Healer, a Peacemaker, a Comforter or a Disciplinarian. Just as King David knew God simply as a Friend, the multifaceted ways in which individuals connect with God are vast and varied but yet never in contradiction to the integrity of His infallible Word.
It is evident that God will never reveal Himself through idols, mediums, or any form of witchcraft. True worship of God can only occur in spirit and truth. Furthermore, atheism and unbelief are inexcusable, as stated in Romans 1:19-20: “What may be known about God is plain to them because God has made it plain to them. For 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 people are without excuse.”
Relating to God and discovering His attributes is really then a matter of one’s belief system and continuous devotion to Him. As believers, it’s imperative that we stay attuned to not only what God has said, but also to what God is presently saying to us. The responsibility lies with us as believers to either nourish the Word designated for our lives in a particular season or neglect it, thereby stunting its growth.
It’s crucial to recognize that God’s revelations cannot simply be expedited like a quick meal in a microwave; there is a process that requires our active participation and obedience. It’s paramount to rid ourselves of any sinful wax clogging our spiritual ears and the inclination towards seeking messages that please our flesh. A believer ought not to have an itching ear but rather clear reception of the Holy Spirit’s voice so we can genuinely align ourselves to God’s will and guard against the subtle charms of deception.
As we reach the conclusion of today’s blog, I encourage you to reflect on the nature of your relationship with God. Consider how God has revealed Himself to you and examine your response to that revelation. Are you faithfully devoted to rituals, or do you genuinely love God and seek to serve Him in spirit and truth every day?
Remember, it’s never too late to re-align your path with God as long as you have the breath of life. God cherishes a broken and contrite heart. I believe God is calling us into a season of repentance and revival, anticipating miraculous and unprecedented revelations both personally and collectively as the Body of Christ. Let’s return to our first love, ensuring that our heart posture remains untainted by the distractions and pleasures of this world.
Now is not the time for lukewarm living. If we truly aspire to experience God and engage with Him in powerful and dynamic ways, we must follow Christ wholeheartedly.
Deuteronomy 30:19-20
This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.
God Bless!
