In the last post, the basic challenge was to think hard about God. As we think about God, I’m convinced we will grow in our love for God and our desire to live life for Him.

As I think back to when I was a teenager, there are things I wish I had known and understood about God  – things that have since changed my life. Don’t get me wrong, they are not necessarily things I wanted to know back then, but they are things I wish I had known as I look back at my life. I’m sharing these posts so that you can know these things about God now, and so that you will realize these are great things to know about God. I’m convinced knowing certain things about God will help shape and change your life – all in a good way!

Psalm 115:3 (ESV)

Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases.

“The implication of this text is that God has the right and power to do whatever makes Him happy. That is what it means to say God is sovereign.  Think about it for a moment: if God is sovereign and can do anything He pleases, then none of His purposes can be frustrated. And if none of His purposes can be frustrated, then He must be the happiest of all beings.” (Piper, 34)

Was God Lonely?

Growing up I was taught, or maybe I just assumed, that God created mankind because He was lonely. Somehow I had the idea that God, in some way, needed us. I now realize how silly that view of God is. It’s silly, because it’s impossible for God to be lonely or to need anything or anyone. Think about it. God – perfect, holy, righteous, all-powerful, all-knowing, not lacking in any way – was lonely. The thought is ridiculous. God, as God, is completely happy in Himself. In the Trinity – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit – there is perfect love and fellowship. Since there is perfect love and fellowship, there’s no way God can be lonely.

Our Security

Why is it important to know that God is completely satisfied in Himself? How does that change my life and your life? It helps us begin to see that life is not all about us. Our lives are all about God.

Understanding this reality would have been a big deal for me as an insecure teenager. I was so insecure. In 6th grade, I wanted to be liked by other people. (That year was the worst of my life!) In 10th grade, I think every zit I had seemed 10 times bigger than it really was. Of course, I was always insecure about girls. I could go on and on… Basically, my problem was that I thought life was all about me, but it never has been. My life has always been about God.

God doesn’t need me.  It seems like a strange place to start in shaping and changing my life in a good way, but it’s where we need to start.  After all, we need to know what God thinks about Himself, so we know what to think about Him.

Think Harder

• Take some time to think about reasons God has to be happy with Himself.
• Read Psalm 115:3 (or the whole chapter) several times, think about it, and let those truths sink in.
• Read Isaiah 46:9-10 several times, think about it, and let those truths sink in.

REFERENCE LIST

Piper, John. 1996. Desiring God. Sisters, OR: Multonomah Books.