The One True God -
His Characteristics and Names
A Daily Devotional on getting to know and love the One True God - by studying His Characteristics and Names
by Gini Crawford, MSW
BecauseOfGod.com
revised from book 7/2/2021
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The book, The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, is available at Amazon and Walmart, and wholesale through Ingram Distributors. |
Introduction
I have had a number of people ask me if I was going to write a study on God's characteristics. To be honest, I thought I didn't have the time, so I would say no. But God always seems to change my plans so His plans get done. A friend of mine said, "I would have become a Christians many years ago, if I had known God was real and so loving. Sorry, I wasted so many years on thinking He wasn't real. How foolish was that?" I believe we can all relate to feeling like we could have been learning more about God, sooner and in more ways. Well, now you got another chance. God literally cleared my schedule to write this.
As you can see from the teachings on BecauseOfGod.com, I describe God every chance I get. Why do I? When you get to know some people, you wish you had not. Sadly, I bet you can relate. But God is the opposite - the more we know God, the more we want to know Him, love and trust Him. So frankly, I loved writing this Daily Devotional on God's characteristics and names. It has allowed me to get to know my loving and amazing God even better.
Directions - please read!
The One True God - His Characteristics and Names is in a 33 day devotional format. Each day teaches about one or two characteristics or a name of God. The devotional covers 24 characteristics and 12 names of God, and a few others with less detail. It uses many Bible passages to substantiate the informative and thought-provoking commentary, and it uses a number of meaningful and amusing illustrations. It teaches what each name or characteristic means, where it is found in the Bible, and how to personally and practically apply it.
In the devotional, I have used numerous Bible passages, so you can understand the One True God from His book, the Jewish and Christian scriptures, called the Bible. Because of the amount of quoted Bible passages, for room sake, I had to cut some words or verses out; so please re-read the whole passage in your Bible. (Others who have done this devotional, tell me it flows easier if you stay with the Bible translation I am using - New American Standard Bible - the 1995 edition (NASB1995)).
This devotional is written so you can apply the information as you read. The Life Application section at the end of each devotional gives you extra information to prayerfully apply to your life. Each day will take around 20 minutes or more, depending on the number and length of Bible readings; and how much you study. Please start each devotional asking God to teach you about Himself.
Table of Contents
Day 1 You Must Know the One True God
You Must Know the One True God of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, describes what will be in this devotional and why knowing the One True God is a must. It ends with a true happily ever after story from God. Daniel of the Old Testament is used in this day, and throughout the devotional to illustrate to us the One True God from a man who truly knew and loved Him.
Thinking of God Rightly of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, explains why you need to know God from His Word, the Bible, and not from other sources. A popular novel is used as an example why it is important to think of God rightly. It also explains why worshipping the One True God and not a false image of Him is necessary. It illustrates the closer our understanding of God is to the truth, the stronger of a Christian we will be. Exodus 32 is discussed to emphasize how important it is to God to think of Him rightly.
Day 3 God's Characteristics Introduced
God's Characteristics Introduced of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, list the 24 characteristics I will cover, which are the ones many religious leaders understand and teach on. It outlines God's most notable names that will be covered. It also describes what God's incommunicable and communicable attributes or characteristics are. It ends with a true story of how the most powerful King in the world thought he was a beast, until the One True God got through to him.
ction.
Day 4 The One True God and the Trinity
The One True God and the Trinity of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, describes a fundamental doctrine from the Bible, God is One but exists eternally in three persons. It teaches if you don't accept as true the doctrine of the Trinity then you don't know the One True God. It gives a vivid picture of God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit. It defines the word theophany.
God the Creator of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, discusses the One True God as being our Creator by using Genesis 1 and Romans 1:20. It describes how you can see God in creation, and that creation is very good. It talks about how our Creator knows you individually, loves you unconditionally, and relentlessly cares for you. It also discusses Genesis 2 and 3.
Day 6 God is the LORD, I AM, the Self-Existent One
God is the LORD, I AM, the Self-Existent One of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, explains God's formal name that was introduced to Moses in Exodus 3 through a burning bush. It also defines what is meant by Self-Existent One. It discusses Exodus 3, and that though God is self-existent, He is very personal.
Day 7 The One True God is All-Powerful
The One True God is All-Powerful of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, illustrates God's absolute power by using some factual details. It discusses God's power being controlled by His love, where human power is limited and tends to be driven by self-interest, recklessness, or worse. It uses the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den, to emphasize that God has the power to control all things.
Day 8 God is Eternal, the Source of Life
God is Eternal, the Source of Life of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, describes the One True God as eternal; with no beginning or end. It explains in detail why Jesus is the source of life, and how He took on death so we could have life again. It teaches how and why we are eternal. You will learn from John 11 that Jesus is our resurrection and the life if we believe in Him. You will also see Jesus' compassion in vivid detail. It talks about our resurrected bodies and the rapture.
Day 9 God is Sovereign Over All
God is Sovereign Over All of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, defines God's sovereignty using Isaiah 40:10-31. It explains in dramatic detail that God's sovereignty will never cease - there is no human or demonic force, or any anything that can stop God. It covers why we have free will with God's sovereignty. It discusses God as the loving and compassionate ruler; and why we can trust Him. A comment about the sovereignty of Jesus from Napoleon Bonaparte is given. It defines faith, believe, and trust.
Day 10 The One True God is Holy
The One True God is Holy of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, discusses God's holiness - He is completely separated from sin, and cannot tolerate sin. It discusses at length God's holiness and our sin. It explains that Jesus solved the problem of our sin and God's holiness. It defines our sanctification and holiness.
Day 11 The One True God is Righteous and Just
The One True God is Righteous and Just of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, describes God's righteousness and justice. It talks about how and why sin brings punishment, and that God took our punishment upon Himself; He did this so you can have His righteousness, and to satisfy His just anger against our sin. It answers the questions: Does God really want to punish us? Should we stop sinning? It uses a number of unusual illustrations to describe our sin vs God's righteousness.
Day 12 The One True God is Merciful
The One True God is Merciful of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, teaches that God is merciful - He feels pity and compassion towards us because of our misery from sin; and has an active desire to remove those miseries. God's mercy brings alleviation of the consequences of our sin. It shares a heartbreaking true story to demonstrate mercy and forgiveness. It encourages us to show others mercy. It uses Titus 3:4-6 and Ephesians 2:1-5 to talk about God's mercy.
Day 13 The One True God is Good and Does Good
The One True God is Good and Does Good of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, defines the word good in the Bible. It teaches how bad or evil entered our world. It describes God's goodness and that all good comes from God. It discusses how it is normal to question God's goodness because of trials; it goes on to explain how God even works trials for our good using Joseph from Genesis as an example.
Day 14 God gives Grace, He is Gracious and Patient
God gives Grace, He is Gracious and Patient of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, describes God's grace and patience in comprehensive detail using illustrations such as Jonah's life. It explain why and how Jesus is the foundation of God's grace. An awful car accident is used as an illustration of God's grace. God's patience is contrasted to His anger. Bitterness is talked about, and how we need to give others grace and patience just as we have received it from God.
Day 15 The One True God is Unchanging
The One True God is Unchanging of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, talks about God's unchanging character in detail. It even answers some challenging passages in the Bible where it seems God changes. It underlines the importance of God's unchanging nature to our salvation. It illustrates how the world is in constant change, and how that should drive us to God.
Day 16 The One True God is Faithful
The One True God is Faithful of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, describes God's faithfulness in understandable detail and why it is so important. It describes how important trusting is - trusting in God and others. It uses everyday illustrations on why God should be where our ultimate trust is put. Daniel 3 and the fiery furnace is used to highlight God's faithfulness.
Day 17 God is Truth, He is Truthful
God is Truth, He is Truthful of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, explains that no falsehood or lies are found in God, only truth. It discusses how important it is to know the real truth; and how harmful lies are. It explains in detail why and how God's Word is the truth, and how it leads and enlightens us. It highlights the importance of knowing the truth about the afterlife.
Day 18 The One True God is All-Knowing
The One True God is All-Knowing of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, teaches that God knows all things: He knew you before the foundations of the world; He knows your every thought and motive. It discusses God knows it all, and is there with you - counseling, protecting and strengthening. It describes the importance of having God's knowledge through some illustrations. It uses the book of Jonah to show God's all knowing nature.
Day 19 God is Wisdom, He is Wise
God is Wisdom, He is Wise of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, defines God's perfect wisdom. It compares the world's foolish wisdom to God's saving wisdom. It describes how to have God's wisdom. It discusses how essential God's infinite wisdom and power are.
Day 20 The One True God is Always with You
The One True God is Always with You of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, discusses from Psalm 139 that no matter where you are, God is there, even when you were an embryo. Jesus is called Immanuel which means "God with us." It explains that you can't hide anything from God, even your sin. It points out that God is with you always, ready to care for and protect you. Two disatrous stories are used to illustrate that God is always with us.
Day 21 The One True God is All-Seeing and All-Hearing
The One True God is All-Seeing, and All-Hearing of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, discusses that God sees and hears what is happening now, in the past, and in the future. It explains that God looks at a person's heart and not at their appearance like we do. We can lie to others but not to God; He sees our true motives. Illustrations are used to underline God sees and hears, and answers prayers. The story of Hagar in Genesis 16 is used to show God as seeing and hearing everything.
Day 22 The One True God is Incomprehensible
The One True God is Incomprehensible of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, answers why God is beyond complete human understanding now; when we get to heaven we will know Him fully. It describes that the One True God is so much more incredible than our human reasoning could invent. Miracles are used as illustrations of God being incomprehensible. It explains that no other religion has a diety like the Christian God.
Day 23 God is Kindness, He is kind
God is Kindness, He is Kind of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, describes the meaning of kindness, then outlines God's kindness towards us. It talks about eternal kindness. It uses a good-natured illustration to paint a picture of kindness. It defines God's repentance and kindness from Romans 2:4. It ends by challenging you to be kind through Ephesians 4:31-32.
Day 24 The One True God is the God of Forgiveness
The One True God is the God of Forgiveness of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, describes God's abundant undeserved forgiveness in detail. It explains why Jesus is the foundation of God's forgiveness; to know Jesus is to know God's forgiveness. It shares a personal story about a Christian family on forgiveness. It ends with how to forgive others and answers the question, "does God forgive every sin?"
Day 25 The One True God is Love
The One True God is Love of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, defines the Greek and Hebrew words that best describes God's love - agape and hesed; with a number of illustrations. It ends with a description of God's covenant love relationship with us.
Day 26 God is All Loving and His Actions Prove It
God is All Loving and His Actions Prove It of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, explains in detail how God's love is defined by His actions, and why actions speak louder than words. God's love is applied in our lives by 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
Day 27 The One True God is our Loving Eternal Father
The One True God is our Loving Eternal Father of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, emphasizes no matter what your father was, or is to you, your Heavenly Father is the Father Who has and will always love and care for you. It describes God as our eternal loving Father in various ways, such as how strong His love is for us from Isaiah 49:15. The Trinity is defined more to add clarity to God being our Father. It gives various details about being in God's family.
Day 28 The One True God is our Loving Husband
The One True God is our Loving Husband of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, discusses in detail Jesus being our loving husband, and Christians being His bride. It explains our husband has loved us from eternity past. It describes how our bridegroom had to give His very life to be able to marry us and how this shows our priceless value. It ends with a description of seeing Jesus for the first time in heaven.
Day 29 The One True God is Jesus Our Savior
The One True God is Jesus Our Savior of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, discusses how badly we needed a savior, so the One True God became our Savior. It explains from a personal standpoint, what the word savior means, and that the name Jesus means Savior. It describes the names - LORD of Hosts, and Immanuel. Psalm 91 is used to describe God as our deliverer.
Day 30 The One True God, Jesus, is our Suffering Servant
The One True God, Jesus, is our Suffering Servant of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, describes in detail why and how the One True God is our suffering servant. It defines Philippians 2:6-8 from the Greek words. It ends with the story of Jesus humbly washing His disciples' feet.
Jesus the Lamb of God of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, explains in detail why Jesus needed to be our lamb, and why He is called the Lamb of God. The lamb from the Jewish Passover Feast is explained from Jesus' sacrifice. It ends with the name Jesus called Himself the most when He walked this earth, the Son of Man.
Day 32 The One True God Lives within Us
The One True God Lives within Us of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, explains in detail how and why the Holy Spirit comes to live within us as Christians. It talks about Jesus' sealing us with the Spirit and that the Spirit is our pledge from God. It describes how the Spirit is very involved in us, knowing God's thoughts and transforming us. It challenges us through Galatians 5:22-23 to let the Holy Spirit lead us. It talks about the battle within.
Day 33 The One True God is our Good Shepherd
The One True God is our Good Shepherd of the daily devotional The One True God - His Characteristics and Names, discusses why we need a Good Shepherd. With illustrations it describes what a good shepherd is. It uses John 10 to describe why Jesus is our Good Shepherd. It explains we are just like sheep, who need the peace that comes from Jesus our Shepherd. It explains in detail the well-known Psalm 23.
Bibliography and Notes on this study will be available in the book "The One True God's Characteristics and Names"
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