When we speak of God's attributes, we are talking about those characteristics that help us to understand who He truly is. An attribute of God is not a "part" of God- not component parts of God. In other words, God is not 15% love, 25% holy, 5% righteousness, 10% mercy, etc. Each attribute describes His total being. For example, love is not just a part of God's nature; God in His total being is love. Holiness is not just a part of God's nature; God in His total being is holy. And God will not compromise one of His attributes when exhibiting another attribute of His. So we always need to remember that God is the sum of all perfections, and because of which, we must be careful when we study the attributes of God that we do not emphasize one attribute at the expense of the others.
What you will find in this book are just some of His attributes and are in no way thorough, as God is infinitely far above and beyond our ability to fully understand and comprehend HIM. Our finite minds cannot reason fully- not even a fraction of Who God is, but the Bible communicates what He is like, so that we can know Him better.
God tells us through His very Word, specific truths about Himself so that we can know what He is like, and be drawn to better worship Him. God's manifold attributes shine most clearly in His Son, Jesus Christ, who came to reveal His Father. Through Christ's saving work on the cross, we are able to know and worship God rightly. And once we begin to grasp Who God really is and what He is like, it will make a difference in our lives.
Properly understanding God is the key to trusting Him enough that He can live through you. A.W. Tozer wrote, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." A right view and understanding of God is essential if we are to develop trust and faith in Him and have real purpose in living.
So why learn about the attributes of God? As someone very well put it, "A man's own character will necessarily be determined by the character of the god whom he worships." What you are and what you will turn out to be in life is affected by whom or what you worship. Therefore in order to have a true understanding of Who God is so as to rightly worship this God of the Bible, we must have a right understanding of His attributes.
Though there are many good reasons why it is important for us to understand the attributes of God, here are just 3 key reasons as to why I believe it is important for us to do so:
1: It pleases God
2: It saves and protects us from having a wrong view of God.
3: The result is joy in our hearts.
This book therefore aims to help us study and understand the attributes of this infinite God so that we delight in and love Him with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind.
As you will notice this book dwells on twelve key attributes that have been selected- one for every month. And as you get into a particular month with a specific attribute for that month, you will find 31 verses pertaining to that said months' attribute. Use this devotional to enrich your time set apart with God by taking one description of Him and meditating on that for the whole day, along with the accompanying passage.
I pray that this book will help you in your worship of God-the purpose you were created for, by focusing on Him and His character!
