Who is God?

Think first

Is there anything more than what you can see, feel, touch? Have you tried calling out? Have you tried listening for a response?

Think First
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Psalm 145


Psalm 145

A psalm of praise. Of David.
 1 I will exalt you, my God the King;
       I will praise your name for ever and ever.

    2 Every day I will praise you
       and extol your name for ever and ever.

    3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
       his greatness no one can fathom.

    4 One generation commends your works to another;
       they tell of your mighty acts.

    5 They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
       and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

    6 They tell of the power of your awesome works—
       and I will proclaim your great deeds.

    7 They celebrate your abundant goodness
       and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

    8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
       slow to anger and rich in love.

    9 The LORD is good to all;
       he has compassion on all he has made.

    10 All your works praise you, LORD;
       your faithful people extol you.

    11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom
       and speak of your might,

    12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts
       and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

    13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
       and your dominion endures through all generations.
       The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises
       and faithful in all he does.

    14 The LORD upholds all who fall
       and lifts up all who are bowed down.

    15 The eyes of all look to you,
       and you give them their food at the proper time.

    16 You open your hand
       and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

    17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways
       and faithful in all he does.

    18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,
       to all who call on him in truth.

    19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
       he hears their cry and saves them.

    20 The LORD watches over all who love him,
       but all the wicked he will destroy.

    21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
       Let every creature praise his holy name
       for ever and ever.


Today's New International Version (TNIV) © Copyright 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society

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Who is God?


If you asked 100 people to say who they thought God was, you’d probably get 100 different answers!

This is one of those questions that’s almost too huge to answer….but we can try. There are some things about God that we’ll never understand because God is beyond our imagination (v 3), but other things we can try to get a handle on.

One of the key things is that God is into relationships, so the description in this psalm is about how God relates to people.

  • God has love and compassion (v 8),
  • God wants to help when people are in a mess (v 14),
  • God keeps promises (v 13). 

Over and over again we read in the Bible that God loves the things he has created and wants them to love him back. God will be there for those who turn to him, and is close enough to hear our cry for help.

So, who is God?

God is loving, caring, compassionate, kind.

Those words only scratch at the surface of God

always there,

always loving,

always forgiving.

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Think about


If there is a god, what would you want God to be like?

In what ways does the description in Psalm 145 meet your expectations of a god?

Is what ways is the description different?
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Who God is and what God does


A special sort of psalm
This psalm is evidence of a writer on a mission. It is an acrostic – a type of poem in which each line begins with a letter which then spells a particular word.

In this case, in Hebrew the first letter of each line or half a line spell out the full Hebrew alphabet. The writer, or psalmist, was setting himself a challenge to describe the A to Z of God!

By choosing this structure he demonstrates a sense of the all-sufficiency of God, the completeness of his character and the global reach of his caring reign.

What is God like?
As he finds words to fit each Hebrew letter he hits upon both God’s characteristics and his mighty acts of power; both what he does and who he is. We see God as:

● gracious and compassionate

● trustworthy and faithful

God makes these things reality to us as he:

● lifts up those who are bowed down (v 14)

● provides for his creation (v 15)

● saves those who call on him (v19)

Consistent God
At times our ‘being’ and our ‘doing’ can become disconnected – the way we behave doesn’t match up to our internal world. But with God there is complete integrity and transparency.

God does not just do compassion occasionally, God is compassion. We can be assured that God’s compassion (and other characteristics) will never fail. God’s character is pure and consistent from A to Z.

Anna Thompson
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What kind of kingdom with what kind of king?


God’s nature and deeds
In Psalm 145:1 God is declared King; throughout the Bible God is seen to have governmental and sovereign authority not just over the people of Israel but over the whole of creation. This begs the question, ‘What kind of a kingdom does this king establish?’

David1, who may have written this psalm, responds, demonstrating the intrinsic link between who God is and what God does.

● God is glorious and eternal, and so is God’s kingdom.

● God is good, gracious and loving, and so we can expect God’s kingdom to bring peace, freedom from oppression, unity among people groups and an end to poverty and violence.

God the King is our Father
Amazingly, God – the King of all creation – comes near to us when we call (v 18). God is nothing if not involved.

Our ideas of royalty might be of stately homes, servants and protocol, of a strong hierarchy that keeps us in our place. But according to David, God is worthy of more honour and praise than any earthly king.

Yet God hears the cry of the fallen and the broken. God the King is also God our Father, and we are not subjects but children.

A new view of power and authority
This causes a radical shake-up in our ideas of power and authority. As Christians seek to live as part of God’s kingdom, its values challenge us to get involved, to support the hurting, recognising that they are loved by God.

We can show others the glory of God through simple acts of goodness that say ‘the kingdom has come near.’

Anna Thompson

1 David was the second King of Israel. He reigned from about 1010 BC to 970 BC. He was seen as the greatest of all Israel’s kings and the one who the later kings were measured against. Before he became king, he defeated the giant Goliath.

 

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Godlike


Does your idea of God match David’s description in Psalm 145?

  • God is eternal (v 13,21)
  • God is powerful (v 4,5,12)
  • God is kind (v 8,14,17)
  • God is patient (v 8)
  • God is loving (v 7,8,14,17,20)
  • God is good to everyone (v 9,14–16)
  • God is trustworthy (v 13,15,19)
  • God is just (v 20)

Since we can’t see God, how can we be sure that David’s analysis of God’s nature is correct? In Colossians 1:15, the Bible describes Jesus as the ‘image of the invisible God’. So, if we want to know what God is like we need look closely at Jesus.

Consider the bullet points again. From what you know of Jesus do you think he has these qualities too?

When thinking about the relationship between Father God and Jesus it’s sometimes easy to assume that Jesus was created by God. But that’s not what the Bible tells us.

Jesus is God, as John 1:1–3 makes clear. Jesus is the all-powerful Lord of Creation as well as the perfect expression of the love of God for the world (John 3:16). During the time Jesus lived on earth he demonstrated the power of God to confirm his divine identity (Matthew 4:23; John 10:38).

The picture painted in Psalm 145 and the evidence of Jesus life points to a remarkable fact: God wants a relationship with us. So how should we respond?

Look at the responses to God in Psalm 145 (vs 1–7,10–12,21). When we understand what God is truly like, we naturally want to worship and honour him.

What will you thank him for today?

Penny Boshoff

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Worship


  • Who is God?
  • What does it mean to be in relationship with him?

Reflect on these questions as you listen to this song.

  • Song: A covenant keeping (Very God)
  • Composer: Godfrey Birtell
  • Artist: Godfrey Birtell
  • Album: Very God
  • Publisher: Kingsway Music
  • Copyright: Copyright © 2006 Thankyou Music
  • Buy this album here
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Who is God?


We asked some people the question ‘Who is God?’ and this is what they said.

What do you think?

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Editorial


Welcome to WordLive About God.

Questions, questions… there are so many questions. But answers?

One question we can answer: what is WordLive About God?

WordLive About God is a new section of WordLive that looks at some of the bigger questions of life. And when we say bigger questions, we mean bigger questions.

In here you’ll see we begin the discussion with ‘Who is God?’, ask the same about Jesus and what he did, before looking at some aspects of Christian spirituality.

Some of these questions are so big that we can only begin to answer them. But that is fine. Being a Christian is all about being in relationship with God. And relationships grow and develop as we learn more about each other.

You can never know all the answers about God. Well, not this side of heaven.

You may have more questions that aren’t even looked at here. If that is the case then pop along to the contact page and drop us an email. We may be able to respond directly or the question may make it onto our list here.

Darren


I’d like to thank everyone who has helped get WordLive About God online: the editorial team and the following contributors…

Nick Harding works for the Church of England in Nottinghamshire, writes and speaks about children’s work, and is a Trustee of Scripture Union. He’s a magistrate, member of the General Synod, dad to two boys and husband to one wife!

Anna Thompson has a degree in theology and is Mission Development Coordinator for The Message Trust in Manchester.

Penny Boshoff gets very excited about things that grow (people and plants)! As well as writing and editing, she loves working with the 5 to 7s at her church and with a Bible study group of mums, many of whom are young Christians. She is married to Andrew and they have three children – Sam, Isobel and Daniel.

Belinda Pollard is a freelance journalist, editor and television producer based in Brisbane, Australia, writing for Christian and secular organisations in different parts of the world. She is passionate about creative evangelism and culturally relevant overseas mission. She loves the sea, chocolate, old wooden things, and being taken for walks by her dog.

Jon Birch is a freelance animator, designer, illustrator and music producer. He describes himself as ‘someone who makes a living out of what he used to do in the margins of his school books’. Jon is a co-founder and contributor of proost.co.uk, a site dedicated to providing creative resources for the Church.

David Lund is both a designer and a photographer. Launching his own business in 1997 he set out with the clear goal of raising the bar of visual communications within the Christian market place, believing that creative quality design can make a difference. He has won numerous national design awards including CBC book of the year. He currently lives and works in Falmouth, Cornwall and loves to relax by fishing.
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In today's reading:

Think first
Psalm 145
Who is God?
Think about
Who God is and what God does
What kind of kingdom with what kind of king?
Godlike
Worship
Who is God?
Editorial

Comments
  • James Boyd | Tuesday, 05 April 2011

    Excellant :)

  • James Boyd | Tuesday, 05 April 2011

    This was great this section learning a little about the team and their contributions to Word Live ....thanks for this imfomation makes it some what more personal :):):)

  • Cindy Proctor | Thursday, 07 April 2011

    I cannot tell the last time I wanted to study everything I found on any site as much as I want to study everything I can find on this site. God is very exciting today. Wordlive has reawakened my desire to journey through the day with Jesus. Thank you team. It is like having a refreshing cold drink on a dry and thirsty morning.

  • Laura-lee Leatherbarrow | Thursday, 07 April 2011

    well done. looking forward to some of the questions that you hope to look at and answer......

  • James Boyd | Thursday, 07 April 2011

    what amazes me all the time when i ponder the point of life is how the word of God answers every question i can think about ....its old but ever new :) now i cannot even begin to imagine life without God in this world ...although i confess i lived without His presence for way too many years before responding to the good news of the gospel ...although each new day has its daily struggles ...still its well worth going through them knowing God is always with me , as the Lord has told us His Burden is light ...and on reflection this is true in comparison to the burden of sin we inherit through birth and carry on getting heavier as we drift in this life without the knowledge of God's Salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ :)

  • Kate Carreaux | Sunday, 10 April 2011

    Amazingly, I have called myself a Christian most of my life, but this morning around 6:30 am, I FINALLY AND AS FULLY AS A MERE HUMAN CAN....received Jesus Christ AS God. I have mouthed the words, but never took them on board. I had to receive the Holy Spirit first, proactively, a few months ago (Thank You, Father God), and now, today, I am so humbled that I don't even feel I have the right, although I share in the honour - the gaze upon the statues in my church that depict the Child and the Crucifixion. As he Buddhists say, "when the student is ready, the Master will appear." He has. Thank you Word Live. ...my question to anyone - how do I humbly witness to a long time friend who has asked me about my faith, and how to get it.? I have shared my experience, but don't want to turn her off by Bible Bashing. That won't work. We have known each other 30 years, through wild days, and she sees the changes in me, but isn't taking it in, although she knows SOMETHING is missing. Do I just continue to pray that Our Father will give me the chance, or is that arrogant of me?

  • Cindy Proctor | Sunday, 10 April 2011

    I sympathise with you Kate Carreaux. I wish there was an easy answer to share with you. The only thing I can say and that is something I have only just realise, when the time is right for your friend to be saved she will be. Whether it is through you or not. Keep on praying for your friend. God has already answered your prayer for her salvation. Do you think that your friend might have a little fear of the unknown? If she is an older person this stepping out of her comfort zone might be very scary for her. Perhaps to avoid Bible Bashing as you put it try to find out what she truly believes about Eternity, and where she hopes to spend it. Acquaint her with what it says about the hereafter in your manual for living, The BIBLE. Stay blessed.

  • Darren Hill | Tuesday, 12 April 2011

    @Kate 1 that's wonderful 2 we'll pray for your friend, it sounds like she's on the journey, all you can do is be the companion as she travels

  • Rena Brown | Tuesday, 03 May 2011

    Kate, after 23 years of being a Christian I am just starting to learn that maybe the best way is to always listen first, but also look for opportunities to offer to pray for your friend about things that are really troubling her. Little bits here and there are not overwhelming and, if you feel the time is right and the mood, share some testimony of what God has done for you. You know your friend well and will be able to tell if it is time to talk or time not to. Above all, pray that God will make your friend open and that you will have these opportunities. It is so encouraging to hear your story! God Bless you! xx

  • Jason Bryant | Tuesday, 03 May 2011

    James and Kate, that's so good to hear what you have to say, really connect to that my friends... peace and grace to you all x J

  • Janice Fisher | Tuesday, 21 June 2011

    #I really enjoyed reading Psalm 145 I found this passage so uplifting the love of god, so very very good. Just think of the cross thats how much we are loved.

  • John Fisher | Friday, 08 July 2011

    I really enjoyed Psalm 145 too, it does sum up the feelings I have for God.

  • Patricia Tarrant | Monday, 13 February 2012

    What did the phrase 'Honour thy father and Mother' actually mean in biblical times?

  • Daniel Muir | Thursday, 23 February 2012

    Is there anything more than what you can see, feel, touch? Yes Have you tried calling out? Yes Have you tried listening for a response? Yes To me God is like Quantum Mechanics, I cannot understand it all, but it is none the less real for that. I asked Him to help me and he has Called me to serve Him as an Elder in His Church. Now I want to learn more.

  • Daniel Muir | Thursday, 23 February 2012

    #Worship Sorry, but I could only make out about 10% of the words. It sounded like "demi-God, Jesus is" but I do not think that that would have been what the choir was singing.

  • Daniel Muir | Thursday, 23 February 2012

    #WhoisGod? I see the lips move but cannot hear what is being saie even with my PC set to MAX VOL

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