But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. (Ps. 86:15)
THAT “BIG GUY” IN THE SKY with a furrowed brow and lightning bolts at the ready, just waiting to zap us for our wrongs? That’s not the God of the Bible. Regrettably, many in our culture carry this Zeus-like image of God: a furious and hot-tempered judge, angered by human failings. And even more regrettably, many in the church—committed followers of Jesus—also relate to God this way.
After all, we know He’s holy, righteous, and perfect. He’s all-powerful and all-knowing. He’s the ultimate judge of all things, and Scripture encourages us to “fear” Him. But if this is all we see of God—if we relate to Him primarily as a retributive judge or an angry parent bent on punishment—then we’re viewing our Creator through a distorted lens.
Over and over in Scripture, the Creator reveals himself as “a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” We can be very good about correcting distorted cultural images of God and witnessing to others about God’s love, but sometimes we need a vision check ourselves. Sometimes we’re the ones who, deep down, have a myopic perspective on God’s character. He invites us to open our spiritual eyes more fully to see Him as He really is. Our Maker is compassionate, gracious, patient, loving, and faithful . . . to you. Do you see Him?
See—and experience—God’s grace-filled love for you!
Kelli B. Trujillo is the author of the Flourishing Faith series (Wesleyan Publishing House), devotional studies to fit into the busy lives of women. She also loves hiking and sky-gazing.
