Knowing God

How do you picture God?

There is a story told of a child drawing a picture. When asked what he was drawing he said “God.” “But no one knows what God looks like,” came the objection. “They will when I’m finished,” was the precocious reply.

We don’t know what God looks like, but this psalm is full of descriptors relating to God: gracious, merciful, loving, good, compassionate and faithful. This psalm is an invitation to reflect on the nature and character of the one we worship.

Few things influence our spiritual lives as much as the image we have of God. When we see God as distant or disinterested, we are hardly likely to pray. If we see God as critical and judgmental, we may well spend our lives in a frenzy of hopeless perfectionism. But when we see God as this psalm portrays God, we are free to live without fear, knowing that even in our failures we will find forgiving sanctuary with one who loves us. And the wonderful side effect is that we are free also to share such great good news.

Lord, let your love be imprinted in my heart and reflected in my life. Amen. — CN

Contributed by Knowing God

How do you picture God? There is a story told of a child drawing a picture. When asked what he was drawing he said "God." "But no one knows what God looks like," came the objection. "They will when I'm finished," was the precocious reply. We don't know what God looks like, but this psalm is full of descriptors relating to God: gracious, merciful, loving, good, compassionate and faithful. This psalm is an invitation to reflect on the nature and character of the one we worship. Few things influence our spiritual lives as much as the image we have of God. When we see God as distant or disinterested, we are hardly likely to pray. If we see God as critical and judgmental, we may well spend our lives in a frenzy of hopeless perfectionism. But when we see God as this psalm portrays God, we are free to live without fear, knowing that even in our failures we will find forgiving sanctuary with one who loves us. And the wonderful side effect is that we are free also to share such great good news.
Eternity for Today