What Does God Look Like?
If you saw God on a social media site, would you swipe left or right? Would you base it solely on looks? Would He appear to you as someone you want to know?
I met my wife, April, on an online dating site. I was opposed to going that route for the longest time to find a potential mate, but after hearing several success stories at my church, I thought, why not try it?
I remember, after I submitted my profile, I was presented on screen 30 postage stamp size photos or so of potential women. April’s face glowed like a neon sign. Her soft smile stuck out compared to all of the rest, so I clicked on hers. The first line in her profile said, “Looking for a man of God…” I recall thinking, I think I qualify. I guess the rest is history, as they say.
What would you expect God to look like? Do you have a predetermined image in your mind? I do. I think of him looking kind of like Charlton Heston as Moses in the movie, “The Ten Commandments.” That’s probably not fair of me to do so, but we tend to place an image in our minds when we have not ever met someone face to face.
What we can know is what God’s “character” looks like based on scriptures.
God Is Infinite – He is self-existing, without origin
“And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” – Colossians 1:17
God Is Immutable – He Never Changes
“I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.” Malachi 3:6
God Is Self-Sufficient – He has no needs
“For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.” – John 5:26
God is Omnipotent – He Is all powerful
“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” – Psalm 33:6
God Is Omniscient – He Is all-knowing
“Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please” – Isaiah 46:9-10
God Is Omnipresent – He Is always everywhere
“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.” Psalm 139:7-10
God Is Wise – He Is full of perfect, unchanging wisdom
“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” – Romans 11:33
God Is Faithful – He Is infinitely, unchangingly true
“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.” – Deut 7:9
God Is Good – He Is infinitely, unchangingly kind and full of good will
“O, taste and see that the Lord is good” – Psalm 34:8
God Is Just – He Is infinitely, unchangeably right and perfect in all He does
“The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.” – Duet 32:4
God Is Merciful – He is infinitely, unchangeably compassionate and kind
“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.” – Romans 9:15-16
God Is Gracious – God Is infinitely inclined to spare the guilty
“The LORD is gracious and merciful; Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.” – Psalm 145:8
God Is Loving – God infinitely, unchangingly loves us
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” – 1 John 4:7-8
God Is Holy – He is infinitely, unchangingly perfect
“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord Almighty” – Revelation 4:8
God Is Glorious – He is infinitely beautiful and great
“His radiance is like the sunlight; He has rays flashing from His hand, And there is the hiding of His power.” – Habakkuk 3:4
Your image of God affects what you think of Him. My image is of one that is Holy. Of one who is secure and confident. Strong and mighty, but also of one who is loving like a gentle grandfather.
Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady All Rights Reserved
