How would you describe God?

Think about it, if someone asked you to describe God what would your answer be?  Before you read any further, I would like for you to sit back and meditate on some adjectives, some words that would describe who God is?  I would really like you to post them but if you are not comfortable with that at least take a few minutes to do it on your own. 

 As I went for a walk this morning I asked the Lord what He wanted to share and several thoughts began to go through my head but when I came back to write I started doing a little research on my thoughts and that research led me to Nehemiah 9.  As mentioned yesterday in the blog comments, it is always good to look at the people of the Bible and see how God demonstrated His love to them as He does with us.  Could you relate to the story from yesterday, are you in captivity?  Write in a journal or share with us if you wish, what has kept you in captivity.  James 5 is a very encouraging passage regarding how we should respond to suffering and how we should respond to one another.  In verse 16 it encourages us to confess our sins one to another, so, if you feel as though you can share on this blog do so but if not, which I would not blame you, pick up the phone and call a friend or send a private message to someone you feel you can trust in the Lord but begin the process of sharing in order to receive support from your brothers and sisters in Christ.  God did not multiply the earth in order for us to stand alone but to have each other to relate to.  Keep in mind that each of us has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  So many times we try to measure up to someone who is trying to measure up themselves.  One warning though, yesterday I attended the Redemption Church at the Tempe, AZ campus and Pastor Riccardo Stewart was sharing that we need to have a sense of community and we need to humble ourselves one to another.  However, when we open ourselves up and we share from our heart, there are times that this vulnerability may lead to heartbreak and disappointment.  This however, does not mean that we should stop and not share with others it simply means that we are all human.  I for one find it very difficult to share when my words have been misinterpreted and thrown back on me to belittle me.  I want to just crawl up in my shell and not share again.  This blog is a gigantic leap of faith because I have become vulnerable and have been hurt very deeply but God tells me to continue and to share the words that He has for me to share.  Be vulnerable, be prepared to be hurt, be prepared for God's character to shine through all of that and give you peace.

As we begin our study on the character of God I would like for us to turn to the book of Nehemiah.  Nehemiah was written at a time when God's people found themselves again in captivity.  The walls of Jerusalem had been torn down and His people were scattered exiles.  But now the walls were about to be rebuilt in order for the Israelites to once again worship the Lord, their creator as they had fallen away from Him and worshiped other gods. Once the wall was built and the exiles had returned to their home, it states in Nehemiah 8:1 that the people, "gathered as one" and "they told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel".  As I read further down, I see a true sense of worship when in verses 5 and 6, "Ezra opened the book.  All the people could see him because he was standing above them, and as he opened it, the people stood up. Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, 'Amen! Amen!' They bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground."  So many times we make worship about the music or some great fanfare but there is no need for a fanfare as there is nothing greater than looking at who God is and worshiping Him through His word.

That is a little history behind the words that I now want to share for today.  If my account is in anyway incorrect, history scholars please correct me!  I would like for us to look at Nehemiah 9.  I asked you at the beginning of the study to write down some descriptors of our God.  What did you come up with? I would like for you now to read Nehemiah 9 and write down characteristics that you see listed about God and compare them to the list that you wrote at the beginning of this study.  I have listed ones that I found  in Nehemiah 9 but before you read my list I would encourage you to make your own list, you may find some characteristics that I left out and I want you to share those with us.

The Israelites are declaring the greatness of our Lord, following is a list of descriptors that I found, see if any of them match your descriptors:
9:6 - creator;
9:7-8 - covenant maker, promise keeper
9:8 - righteous;
9:9 - listener;
9:10 - God of miracles;
9:12 - Guide or in my words, a trailblazer;
9:13 - Maker of laws that were just and right;
9:14 - Establisher of the holy Sabbath;
9:15 - Provider;
9:17b- Forgiving, gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in love
9:19 - Compassionate;
9:30 - Patient;
9:32 - Covenant of love;
9:33 -Faithful;
9:37 - In control

In amongst the characteristics of God there are characteristics of the Israelites.  Are there any characteristics that you can relate to?  9:16-18 - stiff-necked; disobedient; refused to listen; failed to remember miracles; rebellious;idolater.   I think we can all relate to one or more of those characteristics throughout our lives but it goes on to say how God abounds in love and is forgiving.

Wow, this is the God we serve!  As the song goes, what a mighty God we serve!  Over the next several weeks I want us to explore our God and His character and to see how magnificent our God is.  I hope it will lift your hearts towards Him and that it will reveal to you ultimately that He loves you and wants you to trust Him and give Him control of your life.  May God bless you as you seek Him with all your heart!

Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila