God's Will & God's Heart
- 14 hours ago
- 3 min read
Divine Direction — Knowing Who God Really Is
Over the past several weeks in our series Divine Direction, we have been working from the belief that God has a plan for our lives. We have talked about His sovereign will, His moral will, and how He guides us through life as we follow Him. But for some people, the very idea that God has a plan can be difficult. The problem is not always guidance — sometimes the problem is what we believe about God Himself.
Some people picture God as distant and impersonal. Others see Him as harsh, angry, or impossible to please. Still others imagine Him as passive, uninvolved, or indifferent. The truth is, if we misunderstand who God is, we will hesitate to trust Him, and we will struggle to pray, “Your will be done.”
A.W. Tozer once said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” We were created to worship, and if we are not careful, we will shape God into our own image instead of allowing Him to reveal Himself to us. That is why Scripture is so important — because God does not leave us guessing about who He is.
In the early pages of the Bible, God is introduced by titles that describe His power and authority. In Genesis, He is called Elohim, the Creator, the One with the power to make everything from nothing. Later He is called El Elyon, God Most High, the One who rules over all. He is called El Shaddai, the Almighty God, the One who makes and keeps His promises. Each title reveals something true about Him, but they are still titles, not His personal name.
When God spoke to Moses at the burning bush, Moses asked a question that went deeper. He did not just ask who God was — he asked what God’s name meant. God answered, “I AM WHO I AM.” From that moment on, God revealed His name as Yahweh, the One who always has been, who always is, and who always will be. He is not changing, not uncertain, not dependent on anyone else. He is the same God who led Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He would continue to be the same for every generation.
Later, when God met with Moses again on Mount Sinai, He revealed even more about His character. Before giving the law again, before establishing the nation of Israel, God described who He is at His core:
“The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.”
The first thing God says about Himself is that He is merciful and gracious. His mercy is deep, like the compassion of a parent for a child. His grace is active — He does not just feel for us, He helps us. He is also longsuffering, slow to anger, patient even when people fail Him again and again. God’s anger is not careless or uncontrolled. He is angry at evil because evil destroys what He loves.
God also says He is abounding in goodness and truth. His love is steady, faithful, and reliable. The Bible uses words that describe covenant love — the kind of love that does not walk away when things get hard. God does not quit on His people. His love is not based on mood or circumstance. It is based on who He is.
Because of that love, God is willing to forgive. Scripture says He forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin — every kind of failure. His forgiveness is complete, but it is never careless. God is perfectly just. He does not ignore evil, and He does not pretend sin does not matter. Justice and mercy exist together in Him. His goodness is not weakness, and His justice is not cruelty. Both are part of His perfect character.
The Bible also reminds us that sin affects more than just one person. Choices have consequences, and often those consequences reach into the lives of others. But even in that, God’s goal is not destruction — it is restoration. He allows consequences so that people will turn back to Him and find life.
As we continue to seek God’s direction for our lives, this truth matters more than anything else: we can trust His will because we can trust His character. The God who leads us is merciful, gracious, patient, faithful, forgiving, and just. He is not guessing, not changing, and not learning as He goes. He is Yahweh — the great I AM.
When we understand who God really is, following His direction is no longer something to fear. It becomes something we can do with confidence, knowing that the One who leads us is good.
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