I hear it everyday… someone cries out, “Oh my god!” So many talk of him without knowing him, but who is he really. Some call him the Christian God, some the Hebrew or Jewish God, others call him Creator, or Jehovah, or the Lord, or Yahweh. He calls himself “I AM, the God who was and is and is to come.”

With so many names, I know it can get confusing, but no human name can do justice to who he really is. So instead of focusing on names, I’m going to describe him in words inspired by his ancient book and the fingerprints he has left in my life.

Others may follow a god who accepts them only if they get good enough or strong enough, my God takes me “as is,” in spite of flaws and failures. He punched a hole in the sky so we could get to know him.

He is totally and eternally unique. Before the big bang, he was. He invented life in all its forms and everything he created comes with his distinctive seal of approval.

You can see him in the dignity of the mountaintops, in the beauty of the sunsets, in the allure of the seashore, in the wonder of the universe, in the pages of his book, and in the eyes of the people who call this planet home. Think of it this way, He interrupted eternity to create a time and place for people.

My God has produced the ultimate reality show and endowed all of us with a mysterious part of himself, the ability to know right from wrong, good from evil. Then, he put everything on the line. It’s his show, but he lets us choose our parts, our roles. How daring is that?

He has gone to great links to inject my life into his story. In his reality, I get to start over, to change the future, and to become a better version of myself. He demands justice, loves mercy and honors the humble, but He detests hatred and dishonesty and pretension. And I am learning to do the same.

He gifted us with free-will, passion and promise and wants us to live without a smidgen of fear. He knows about life with the WOW factor, because he put it there. And if we will follow his lead he will show us how to live beyond ourselves.

We may fear him, or deny him, or fight him, but we cannot ignore him.

Think of him, like a timeless river constantly refreshing and reforming and replenishing, but never ending, always streaming. We are his work in progress—yet to be completed. 

Oh, and he is the premier secret keeper who never breaks a promise, never!

In times of trouble, he doesn’t reach down from heaven to respond to my needs because he is already at my side. He catches all my tears and listens to my heart before I know the words to speak.

My God has shown me how to love the unlovable, to forgive without retribution, and accept people right where they are.

He is the ultimate source of truth and wisdom; he knows what I need before I do. Even when I’m not aware of it, he is guiding my steps, challenging my values, and refining my motives. His holy touch still takes me to my knees.

He has taught me how to live forward and understand backward, while learning to be generous and thankful along the way. He is my helper, my hero, and my healer. It was his idea to give me intuition and instinct and imagination for a lifetime.

For some incredible reason my God loves us all in spite of our callousness and forgetfulness and selfishness. He loves us and enjoys every detail of our lives… can you believe that? And in middle of the darkest hours he finds ways to inspire hope. And, through it all he has given me a story to tell.

If you don’t know him, his voice can seem threatening and even terrifying, but when you know him, he's gentle and comforting and welcoming.  After all, he invented conversation; he knows when to listen and when to speak.

My God has invaded my heart. He has captured my attention and inspired my vision. He has helped me find my place in this world and the next.

Remember that hole he punched in the sky…it was a holy visit—we call him Jesus. He came so we could know God…
So, do you?

Want to know him better? Email me. ron@faithteam.org.