How well do you know your spouse? Your child? Your friend? Your neighbor? Your co-worker? The better you know a person, you better you know his or her ways. You might even know some people well enough to predict what they will do or say in certain situations. We definitely know different people on different levels.
Now, let me ask you another important question. How well do you know your God? As incredible as it seems, the God who created the universe wants us to know Him on a very personal level. He doesn’t want us to just know about Him; He wants us to know Him closely and intimately.
In Psalm 25, we find a very simple, yet profound prayer from the psalmist David that reveals his desire to know God. “Show me Your ways, O LORD” (v. 4, NKJV). I believe God would be pleased to hear each of us pray the same prayer today. He wants to reveal His ways and character to us. While it would be impossible to list all of the characteristics of God, today I’d like to share three vital elements of the nature of God.
For one, God’s ways always include love. In fact, His ways are so rooted in love that the Bible tells us “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Everything God does for us – provision, healing, direction, and even correction – flows from a sense of love. “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, NIV). Indeed, “we love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
Secondly, God’s ways always include justice. In an age of increasing moral relativism, we must never lose sight of the difference between right and wrong. God stands for what is right. Life might not always be fair, but God always is. He won’t allow evil to win. When we face wrongdoings or witness injustice, we can take comfort that our God will right the wrongs in the end. Indeed, “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He” (Deuteronomy 32:4, NKJV).
Finally, God’s ways always include order. Everything God does is with a plan and purpose; He does nothing haphazardly or randomly. What an awesome truth it is to know that our lives are part of His great plan! Not only does He order the individual steps of your life, but He orders your life according to the overall plan of His kingdom.
Never think that your life is an accident or doesn’t matter; You are valuable to the Lord! God has you on this earth for a reason, because everything He does is with a purpose. He controls the very breath you breathe, and He would not have you here unless He had an important purpose for your life. May we all be encouraged to know that God is using us to accomplish His will for His glory.
As we reflect on the Lord’s character, let’s consider how “[God] made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel” (Psalm 103:7) There seems to be a distinction between knowing God’s ways and knowing His acts. I don’t want to just know His acts; I want to learn His ways! Let us pray as David did: “Show me Your ways, O LORD!”
Reflections 