God is Personal
Zeph. 3:17 - "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing” (NIV).
John 1:14 - "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (NIV).
John 1:38-39 - "Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, 'What do you want?' They said, 'Rabbi' (which means Teacher), 'where are you staying?' 'Come,' he replied, 'and you will see.' So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour' (NIV).
John 11:35 - "Jesus wept" (NIV).
Rev. 3:20 - "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me" (NIV).
God's greatness is displayed not only in the creation of the heavens and the earth, but also in His awesome capacity to relate personally to His creation. He is able to hold the universe in His hands, and at the same time, know the intimate details of your life. In fact, "the very hairs of your head are all numbered" (Luke 12:7). We read in Phil. 2:6-8 that Jesus took on human likeness, becoming a servant - becoming nothing for our benefit. He became a person who was tempted as we are (Heb. 4:15). He feels the emotions that we feel (John 11:35). Throughout Scripture God expresses Himself in very personal, emotive ways - grief, anger, deep compassion, sorrow (Gen. 6:6; Exo. 4:14; Matt. 9:36; Luke 19:41). Some see God as distant, impersonal being - so distant from our everyday lives. This view could not be further from the truth. For God is closer to you than you could ever imagine. He knows more details about your life than you do. He feels with great depth regarding all that concerns you.
For More Study
Thoughts and Questions for Application
Memorization
Rev. 3:20 - "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me" (NIV).
John 1:14 - "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (NIV).
John 1:38-39 - "Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, 'What do you want?' They said, 'Rabbi' (which means Teacher), 'where are you staying?' 'Come,' he replied, 'and you will see.' So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour' (NIV).
John 11:35 - "Jesus wept" (NIV).
Rev. 3:20 - "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me" (NIV).
God's greatness is displayed not only in the creation of the heavens and the earth, but also in His awesome capacity to relate personally to His creation. He is able to hold the universe in His hands, and at the same time, know the intimate details of your life. In fact, "the very hairs of your head are all numbered" (Luke 12:7). We read in Phil. 2:6-8 that Jesus took on human likeness, becoming a servant - becoming nothing for our benefit. He became a person who was tempted as we are (Heb. 4:15). He feels the emotions that we feel (John 11:35). Throughout Scripture God expresses Himself in very personal, emotive ways - grief, anger, deep compassion, sorrow (Gen. 6:6; Exo. 4:14; Matt. 9:36; Luke 19:41). Some see God as distant, impersonal being - so distant from our everyday lives. This view could not be further from the truth. For God is closer to you than you could ever imagine. He knows more details about your life than you do. He feels with great depth regarding all that concerns you.
For More Study
- Isaiah 43; 49:15-18; 54 - 55
- Hosea 2
- John 11:1 - 12:10
Thoughts and Questions for Application
- Do you tend to keep this personal God at an arms-length distance? If so, why?
- Have you known God to grieve with you or to celebrate with you?
- Do you have a personal relationship with God?
Memorization
Rev. 3:20 - "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me" (NIV).
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