There is only one being in all the world who is “self defining” and that is God. You and I struggle in this world trying to “define” ourselves apart from our creator, and to define our creator in light of our struggles. Our struggles may seem tantamount, and consume us; and suddenly the “god” we defined seems lost, or irrelevant, or unpowerful, or uncaring. Why did we create such a “god,” and is there one who cares deeply? Is there one who will never forsake me? Is there a God who loves me in spite of all my inward battles, my mistakes, my inadequacies? Is there a God with the power to make all things new, to restore and redeem and make things right?

The answer to these question is revealed by the true God. It is good news indeed that He has revealed Who He is, and how deep His love is. Where do we find these answers? They are not “within” so stop searching your own thoughts; they are not “out there” waiting to be discovered. God is a God who delights to reveal Himself, and does so through His Word. Jesus taught that those who “abide” in His Word will be changed by it, and know truth, and be free from the things that formerly enslaved us (another topic for another day! But yes, you are enslaved by whatever you obey, and by whatever consumes you).

Sometimes it is difficult to believe that God is compassionate. Or that He is “there” at all. Not because He simply is not showing compassion, but because we’ve decided that “compassion” means  something it does not. Example: some believe that a compassionate god will rescue me from ever feeling pain or working through a struggle or having any of the “growing pains” that come from my old self dying and my new self emerging in His image. We have falsely defined compassion, and thus falsely defined our compassionate God.

Our compassionate God describes and defines His terms all through Scripture, and gives many examples (the book of Hosea being a great place to start, Ezekiel 16 being another chapter–showing that God knows our languishing hearts and pursues us to draw us out of our misery), and teaches how available it is to us through the New Testament. For any of God’s characteristics, there is no one magic verse to spell it all out. Abiding in His Word means reading and thinking upon and meditating on all of Scripture, and so yes–it is a lifelong adventure of getting to know the one true God (John 17:3).  But don’t let that discourage you, for there is great comfort and joy in knowing who God really is, knowing what He has promised, and learning to hear His voice above all others in this world.

Sometimes the better question to ask is not “where is this God? Why has He failed me?” but rather “why am I disappointed? What did I believe about God, and is that belief true? What does God reveal about Himself concerning ___fill in the blank____?”

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