God is: GREAT | GLORIOUS | GOOD | GRACIOUS (Daily Encouragement Series)
“…they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” – Romans 1:25
When life starts feeling out of our control or overwhelming we respond in different ways. Some of us do anything to make it feel like we are in control, some respond in fear, some look for comfort until it passes and some work really hard to prove we have it together despite our circumstances. The issue with all of these is they are dependent on us or things other than God. To truly find freedom and peace in all of life, we must turn to and trust in God who is the one who actually is in control and worthy. The “4G’s” (from Tim Chester in “Everyday Church”) help us have a right picture of God and right response to all of life:
1. God is GREAT, so we do not have to be in control – We often want to be in control, so we dominate, manipulate, or overwork people. Or we fear things being out of control, so we worry. But God is sovereign. He is in control. Things may not always go the way we want, but God is in control, and he uses everything that happens to us for our good.
2. God is GLORIOUS, so we do not have to fear others – We often sin because we crave the approval of other people or fear their rejection. The Bible calls this the “fear of man” (Proverbs 29:25). We live to please other people, or we are controlled by peer pressure. The Bible’s answer is the fear of God. God is the glorious one whom we should fear. He is the one whose approval matters most, and he is the one whose approval we have in Jesus Christ.
3. God is GOOD, so we do not have to look elsewhere. Sin often leads to pleasure, but its pleasures are empty and temporary. Only God brings true and everlasting joy. The pleasures of sin are quick and immediate. So we need faith to turn to God for lasting joy.
4. God is GRACIOUS, so we do not have to prove ourselves. Many people act out of a desire to prove themselves. On the surface they may look impressive because they achieve many things or live good lives, but when things go well they are proud, and when things go badly they are crushed. They may look down on others because this makes them feel better about themselves or become bitter when their hard work is not rewarded in the way they want. It is also this desire that makes us determined to win an argument. The good news is that, while we can never justify ourselves before God, God has justified us through Jesus Christ. Jesus has done it all, so we have nothing left to prove.
God is GREAT. God is GLORIOUS. God is GOOD. God is GRACIOUS.
Which of these truths resonates and brings comfort to you today?