How do you imagine God?
your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
You ask how we imagine God, but I find the wording of your request flawed. God is not the product of our imagination, but a Being who must be diligently sought out. God is a reality far beyond our feeble attempts at description; we dare not interject our opinion but rather look to His Word to find how He describes Himself.
Those Scriptures tell us of four basic attributes which form God’s character. The first is Justice. Psalm 89:14 tells us that justice is the foundation of His throne or government. We find this well illustrated by the balanced scale which decorates many courtroom walls—equity, balance, the doing of that which is right. However, strict justice is—by itself—hard and cold. And so we also find where the Bible describes God’s character as being loving—so loving that He is said to be the very embodiment of love (1 John 4:16).
God is Love and Justice is His foundation. These two principles form the basis of all that He has done or will do. He is forbearing and yet demanding; merciful and yet will not clear the guilty (Exodus 34:7). Instead, we read where His love provided a way to restore mankind back into harmony with Himself (Acts 3:19-21); a plan where He might remove the sentence proclaimed in Eden without violating His own law (Romans 3:23-26).
Examining His plan reveals another attribute: God’s Wisdom. Look around and witness the manifold intricacies of the physical universe (Psalm 104:24). Think of the mind that plans for eternity without the possibility of mistake (Romans 11:33-36). Consider the lessons taught through His permission of the contrary influence of evil for a period of time. Consider the exercise of man’s free will against that evil. (Proverbs 2:6).
And, not only does God possess Wisdom, but also the ability to effect the outcome. Throughout the Bible we find passages that tell us nothing is too hard for God (Jeremiah 32:17,27); that what He proposes He will do (Isaiah 14:24,27); and that what He commands will not be left unaccomplished (Isaiah 55:11). This gives us great confidence in His plan. It gives us a peace not attainable otherwise.
Here is our God. He is a God of Wisdom, Power, Love and Justice. We find His description on the pages of the Bible—not in our imagination.
