God’s Character Revealed | July 12th, 2022

What a wonderful summer getaway we had this past week! Michael and I took a long road trip to Nashville to see family and on the way there, we made a two-day stop at a destination neither of us had ever visited before…Hot Springs, Arkansas.

After scouting out everything there was to do, we decided on a vigorous hike, choosing the strenuous route option to check out the city’s 216-foot observation tower made of steel. That next morning we began our trek.

I soon forgot just how strenuous it was. Like a burst of energy for my spirit, I began to be aware of God revealing His character to me along the way. I took a few photos to be reminded long afterward of His sweet encouragement…

The Path – God is Faithful

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. Psalm 37:23-24

The hiking path we took was rather rocky at times and although I wore sturdy shoes, I knew I needed to be careful with each step I took so I wouldn’t lose my footing.

When we are traveling along life’s path, it isn’t always smooth and easy. In fact, it can be quite rocky at times and perhaps even treacherous. If we have committed our way to God, we can be sure our steps are made firm and perfectly directed by Him. When we allow Him to lead, He delights in each step we take. He loves being a part of the smallest details of our life! God is faithful to be right there with us at all times, holding our hand to keep us from falling into destruction.

Making unwise choices that take us off of His perfect path will not only grieve Him but will also bring a lot of trouble on ourselves. However, if we stumble (and we will), we will not be destroyed. God holds us up and will not allow anything to permanently damage our relationship with Him. He is a God of so much forgiveness and grace!

Once we’ve believed in Jesus Christ as our Savior from our sin, we are eternally saved, never to be separated from Him. Our salvation is not based on our performance or anything we do to try to be a good person because we all fall short. Instead, it is based on God’s unchanging, never-ending love for us. That’s why we can confidently trust Him to lead us on the right path, even if it includes surprises or delays that we did not expect. When He begins a good work in us, He will be faithful to complete it.

Towering Trees – God is Personal

Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the Lord. “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.” Isaiah 66:2

Looking up, I noticed the magnificence of the towering trees above me. It made me contemplate how worthy of glory and honor our amazing God is! I felt so small and insignificant next to those sky-high trees. How incredible it is that He is above everything in creation yet desires to have a close, personal relationship with us because we are made in His image! That is favor!

When we replace our prideful heart with humility, we can recognize His written Word, living and active, as God speaking to us. How can we not tremble in reverent awe knowing it has been written for our benefit so we can know our Creator on a deeper level and grow in our relationship with Him? It is filled with so much wisdom, guidance, truth, comfort, encouragement, hope, refreshment, and joy for our weary soul. Everything we need. That’s how much He loves us!

Bark Pattern – God is Trustworthy

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

The uniquely patterned bark I spotted on this tree trunk reminded me of a 1000-piece puzzle that only a true puzzle expert could have solved. God is the One who can make the many puzzle pieces of our life fit together as a beautiful masterpiece no matter how jumbled we’ve made them with our poor choices. It is during those times of feeling like we’ve messed everything up when we can’t imagine how He could ever want us back. Yet, that’s when He pulls us even closer to Him.

Once we get to a place of being able to fully trust Him, we can more easily submit our plans to His full control and watch with amazement how He makes all the pieces connect together for good. We are not here on this planet to simply fill space. God has an incredible, meaningful purpose for each one of us and is able to work all things out for our greatest fulfillment and His glory!

Strong Tower – God is Our Protector

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10

After a long hike, we finally made it to the city’s mountain tower but opted to take the elevator to the top as we were exhausted from the heat and had chosen the toughest path to get there. Before heading up, we spent time restoring our energy in this place of refuge for our tired bodies. It was complete with everything we needed – air conditioning, cold water, a granola bar, and a couple of chairs.

The name of the Lord represents His character as our loving protector, solid rock, comforting refuge, and safe fortress. He is our strong tower! When we truly know His character by spending time with Him in His presence, we can trust Him. It feels natural for Him to be the first one we run to when we need to be lifted high above the traps, trials, and temptations in this world.

God works on behalf of those who love Him and honor His name. He is always on guard, protecting us from the evil all around us. The enemy cannot touch us because we belong to Him! Until we get to heaven, we may never fully know how much He has sheltered us in this life.

How amazing to think that the God of all creation desires a deep relationship with us because of His love. If we simply turn off the distractions and take time to be still, we will notice Him revealing His character to us through unusual circumstances, sweet blessings, the kindnesses of others, answered prayer, and His precious Word. And if you happen to be on a hike, you may even be given just the encouragement you need as His character shines through His beautiful creation all around you in nature.

Kimberly Moore is a blogger, speaker, and author of Beauty in a Life Repurposed and Kingdom Sparkle. To learn more, visit her website at kingdomsparkle.com.

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