Posts tagged Attributes
Attributes Of God
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The Following Blog Post is by Stephanie Sund

Four years ago I sat next to the bed of my 4 year old on the oncology ward of Children’s hospital.  In that horrible haze of the day, when we were waiting to hear how far her cancer had spread, the words I remember uttering over and over, half to my husband, more to myself were  “What do we know about God?” And then I’d answer myself, out loud “God loves us, God is merciful and just. ” Wait 10 minutes, repeat.

Fast forward to last month, when we were again at Children’s, waiting for tests to tell us if the spot they saw on our daughter’s  x-ray was the return of  cancer.  And the weapon my mind reached for to fight the rise of anxiety was the answer to the same question “What do we know about God?” When my world is slipping, I want to know who it is that’s holding me!  This time I was better equipped to preach to myself the attributes of God, the truths of his character.  And to hold on to the comfort in scriptures like Isaiah 41:10  “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  Scripture made so much more powerful when you know who is behind those promises.   And, praise that is much deeper when we are not just worshiping God for what he does, but for the depth of his unchanging character.  My daughter’s cancer is not back, God is good.  If her cancer were back, God would still be good.  God is always good.

Last fall I began memorizing the attributes of God as listed in Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology and teaching them to my kids.  We made up a cheesy little song to help us get snippets of gospel truths into memorizable form.

 

The song is to the tune of “My God is an awesome God”.

 

My God is independent

He doesn’t need you or me

Yet he allows us to be

A joy to his heart, and bring him glory

 

My God is unchanging

He’s the same day to day

In his purposes, promises and ways

He’s the solid rock on which we stand

 

My God is eternal

Always was and always will be

He sees all time equally

And he knows what is to come

 

My God is omnipresent

He’s everywhere all the time

There’s no keeping secrets from Him

And he’s always with me

 

My God has unity

His attributes mesh together perfectly

No wrath without mercy

And each act is of the whole person of God

 

My God is a spirit

He has no physical form

We cannot measure him

Like nothing we’ve seen or felt

 

My God is invisible

No one has ever seen God

But he does make himself known

Through creation and his Son

 

My God is omniscient

He know all things all the time

He knows all things possible

There’s nothing that God can learn

 

My God is wise

He makes the best decisions

To bring about the best results

By the best possible ways

 

My God is a God of truth

He does what he says he’ll do

His promises will come true

And we can trust in his word- the Bible

 

My God is a good God

All good comes from God

And, in his goodness

He was patience, mercy and grace

 

My God is a God of love

Steadfast and eternally

Giving of himself to bless me

As shown through Christ’s death on the cross

 

My God is a Holy God

He’s completely separate from sin

And he is devoted to

Seeking his own honor

 

My God is a God of peace,

Not confusion or disorder

He acts continually

In well ordered and controlled ways

 

My God is righteous and just

He always does what’s right

Sin deserves punishment

Christ died on the cross for my sins

 

My God is a jealous God

He seeks to protect his own honor

For he alone is worthy

He doesn’t want idols in our hearts

 

My God is a God of wrath

He intensely hates all sin

As Christians we don’t fear God’s wrath

Christ bore God’s wrath for our sins