I love what Francis Chan says on page 29 of our study today: “Most of us know that we are supposed to love God; that we are supposed to read our Bibles and pray so that we can get to know Him better; that we are supposed to worship Him with our lives. But actually living it out is a challenge.” I was so blessed when I read that! To actually have that said, out loud, was a relief to me, because some days it IS a challenge. Life just seems to get in the way:  husband, kids, school, job, dishes, just everyday life. Hard things we can’t understand too, like divorce, betrayal, death. Wow! Those things pull us away from reading, praying and worshiping. That “amnesia” flares up and we forget!

Let’s go over the defining attributes of God that Francis Chan pointed out to us in this section.

God is Holy: In Exodus 3:14 we read: “God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am’.” No one can change that. And yet it is so hard to fathom! So, in other words, He is everything. He is our all. We just can’t brag on Him enough because He IS all that and even more!

God is Eternal: Francis points out that we would probably all agree to this, and yet we don’t really comprehend it because we are limited to time, beginnings and endings. God has always been and always will be. Psalm 102:12,17 says “But you, O Lord, sit enthroned forever, your renown endures through all generations….. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.” We, however, are here only for a short time.

God is All-Knowing: YES in the deepest part of me that I hide from everyone else, God knows me! Hebrews 4:13 says “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account.” That is sobering. I like that “He doesn’t have to know us so well, but He chooses to.” In spite of my sinfulness. So why do we question? Do we know more than the One who created us? He sees the whole picture from beginning to end. He is not obligated to explain Himself, we just need to trust Him.

God is All-Powerful: Psalm 115:3 says: “Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever pleases Him.” If He wanted He could destroy us in a second. He could create a whole new world and not even blink an eye. And He can take care of every little thing we have on our plates if we yield it to Him.

God is Fair and Just: One definition Of justice, Francis tell us, is reward and/or penalty as deserved.  God never excuses sin. We must let God decide and mete out justice and judge what is fair. He is always consistent. And thank God He does it!  I don’t want that responsibility!  As Francis Chan says, When you get your own universe you can make your own standards.

Let’s put it all into perspective as much as I can: When life gets in the way, when the hard times come, when we struggle sometimes to just keep it together – remember God. Don’t let the amnesia take over or you will miss out.

God is Holy and you can’t change that. Even if you think He’s far away, He’s not. And He is working it out for us.

Because He is eternal, He is not limited by anything.

Because He is all-knowing He sees us and knows the deepest parts of us that we keep hidden from everyone else. He knows your doubt and your lack of faith. He chooses to know us well.

Because He is all-powerful He’s got it under His control; we need not question, we just need to trust.

Because He is just and fair He has to punish sin. But because He loved us, chose to know us, and is concerned for us, He made a way. He sent His son to be spit on, laughed at, beaten and killed to pay the penalty of our sin that we could know Him.

Because He is GOD He knew it was the only way.

He loves you – worship, praise and adore this God who is our Father and loved us that much.

When you can’t see His hand, trust His heart.

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Let’s pray:

Father we are so humbled that You love us. We thank You that you have all of these attributes that we can count on. Help us to trust You. To keep in perspective that You are GOD. Let us not forget to worship and pray and adore You. Be with every woman today reading this. Pour Your love out over them and let them bask in your Holiness. In Jesus name we pray-Amen

Your assignment:

Name some of the things that hold us back from acknowledging God for who He is? What steps can you take to not let the amnesia set in and live a full life in Christ? Then let us pray over these for you and bless you.

In Christ,

Donna

If you are interested in joining this amazing online Bible study for Crazy Love, click HERE to sign up. Once you are registered, you will receive an email with further details.

If you would like to email a private message to Donna in regards to this blog, please email her at: Donna@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.