The Character of God

Merry and Blessed Christmas Everyone!

Over the last month or so during this Holiday season, I have been thinking a lot about the character of God.  And as I have studied about it in my Bible, I find myself continually being drawn back to two expressions that came down from heavenly sources to mankind.  The first one was spoken by the angel Gabriel to a group of frightened shepherds sitting on a lonely hill, in the darkness of night, outside the city of Jerusalem.  The second was uttered by Jesus Himself, some thirty years later, we he addressed a woman who had just reached out in faith to Him.

The angel Gabriel’s conversation with the shepherds in Luke 2:8-17, began by him simply saying, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people…”  but what caught my attention this time, wasn’t what he said… but HOW he said it!

I was recently introduced to the Remedy paraphrase of the New Testament that its editors define as “an expanded Bible paraphrase in which interpretation is filtered through the lens of God's design law of love, the template on which life is built. This paraphrase is intentional in its focus to reorient the Christian mind to God's character of love and His mission to heal and restore humankind, as taught by the early church.”

In my introductory stages to this work, I find that I am drawn into the filter of God’s Love which is employed here.  In the Remedy, Luke describes the initial interaction between the frightened shepherds and the angel by stating,

“One of God’s angels appeared to them, and the fiery brilliance of heavenly light shone all around them; and they trembled in fear.  But the angel said GENTLY to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. I’ve come to share with you the best news of incredible joy that is for all humanity.  Today, in Bethlehem, the city of David, the promised Savior was born: he is Christ the Lord.’ “  (Luke 8:43-48)

I was emotionally moved when I pictured the angel’s gentle and tender approach and words to the shepherds.  I guess I had always accepted the strong, serious and commanding presence that most often seems to portray the angel Gabriel in the Christmas productions over the years!  The vision I received when reading this characterization, flooded me with the warm and tender sense of the character of God’s love.

Then, as I wrote about in a previous blog post*, I also felt the warmth and tenderness of the character of God’s love when I read about Jesus’ miraculous interaction with the woman with the issue of blood as recorded in Luke 8:43-48.  With a crowd of people pushing and shoving around Him, Jesus suddenly felt power being drawn out of Him and He stopped and exclaimed, “Someone touched me: I felt power go out from me.”** 

Well, the Apostle Peter who was standing next to Him in the crowd, thought that Jesus was being a little bit loco in making a point declaring that someone touched Him.  But Jesus was unfazed, and He turned and looked into the eyes of the individual who came forward and “He smiled and said, “Daughter, your trust in me has healed you. Live in peace.” **

I get the feeling when I read this, that the woman who was healed didn’t hear a word that Jesus said… once she looked into the deep pools of love that flowed from His eyes… that were solely focused upon her!  It is a look and response of His love that I have seen and experienced before.

When Piper was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, I suddenly realized that my personal relationship with Jesus Christ… had to get personal!  Does that make any sense?  I knew that HE was our only answer and that I had to KNOW Him and His Love in a deeper and more intimate way than I ever had before. 

I had always felt that Piper had a closer personal relationship with the Lord than I did.  And at that time of desperate need in our lives, I realized it was because she KNEW and really experienced the LOVE of God in a very personal and intimate way.  It was what I needed and what I began to experience and grow in, as I increased my understanding and experience of the depth of intimacy in which HE knew and loved Piper and I.***

It was the Lord’s and my continually developing relationship that carried me through the hardest times during my care for Piper in the final eight years of her life on this earth… and it is that which continues to carry me through now, without her.

The vision of the angel’s gentle reply to the frighten shepherds and the smile dripping with the deep love and concern on Jesus’ face toward the cowering women who had dared to touch him in the midst of a thronging crowd of people, reminds me of the GENTLE and SMILING LOVE with which the Savior of the World LOVES both YOU and ME!

In this season which is meant to celebrate His LOVE, His JOY, His PEACE and His GIVING, I encourage you to take some time away by yourself to renew and refresh… and deepen your intimate and LOVING personal relationship with the ONE who LOVES you.  Be still before Him and then when the time is right, tell Him how much you Love and trust in Him… and then allow that same sense of PEACE that I am sure enveloped the shepherds that dark night, and the women who was not only healed of the disease that had afflicted her for 12 years, but also, as the Word declares, was made whole****… Physically, spiritually, emotionally and financially!

NOW… that is the character of God that I want to dwell on throughout the rest of this Holiday season as well as throughout the New Year of 2023!

HOW ABOUT YOU!

I pray that you all have a most HAPPY, BLESSED and PROSPEROUS in every way Christmas!  And along the way in your busy schedule of activities, remember to let the character of God’s LOVE so saturate you… that you can’t help but to splash a bunch of it onto others around you!

 

*http://pjberruto.blogspot.com/2022/12/smiles.html

**Luke 4:46&48

***My breakthrough understanding came when I began a deep study into the Paul’s prayer to the church in Ephesians 3:14-21 in the God’s Word © translation, where it really points out the depth of personal intimacy in which the Lord loves us, and in turn, desires us to know Him with.

****The word “WHOLE” comes from the Greek word ‘Sozo’ which implies total wholeness in EVERY area of life!