Joy in God - Thanks Haggai!

We have been studying Haggai Sunday mornings at GFC and last week traced out the development of the temple theme in two directions: back to Eden and ahead to the New Jerusalem. What is dominant in that theme is the thought, “God dwells with man.”

Wednesday’s church meeting to pray usually includes some time to put the truth we are learning into action, so I asked our folks to list off everything they could think of about God. My premise was that being residents of this world tempts us to lose focus on the One who will dwell with us forever. We are prone to get more interested in our “paneled houses” than we are in God.

So, in the span of 4-5 minutes, folks just rattled off what they knew was true about God. And as we did that, I sensed our joy in Him getting elevated. I thought I would share with you what the GFC folks said – I was merely “the scribe.”

God is…

• Faithful
• He rejoices over His own
• Love
• Accepts sinners
• Keeps all His promises
• Just
• Cannot be deceived
• Sovereign
• Unchanging
• Patient
• Holy majestic
• Full of power
• Complex
• Answers prayer
• Self-existent
• All knowing
• Provides all we need
• Sustains the universe
• Lives in us
• The Breath of life
• Victorious
• Worthy of worship
• Truth
• Limited only by His nature
• Puts away wrath and judgment
• Loved us first
• Provides the way of escape
• Holy holy holy
• Sends suffering for our good
• Righteous
• Restorer
• Brings justice
• Grace
• Sanctification
• Creator
• Brings the dead to life
• Knows all the deep thoughts of every person
• Convicts of sin
• Does all for his glory
• Does not need us
• Exercises steadfast love
• Not clear the guilty
• Our hope
• Gives strength
• Made the universe, not just the earth
• Takes down His enemies
• Compassion
• Intentional, not arbitrary
• Limits the sea and man
• Lets Himself be known
• A Person
• Angry with the wicked
• Owns everything