The second greatest book ever written doesn't have a word in it! Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 2: The Means by Which We Know God We know him by two means: First, by the creation, preservation, and government of the universe, since that universe is before our eyes like a beautiful book in which all creatures, great and small, are as letters to make us ponder the invisible things of God: his eternal power and his divinity, as the apostle Paul says in Romans 1:20. All these things are enough to convict men and to leave them without excuse. Second, he makes himself known to us more openly by his holy and divine Word, as much as we need in this life, for his glory and for the salvation of his own. Summary In our polarized, fragmented world, there are very few things that everyone can agree on, but the beauty of God's creation is one of those things. People drive thousands of miles to look out over a grand vista. As busy as life is, almost everybody stops for a moment to take in a glorious sunset. But God didn't add all of this stunning beauty in creation just so that we could have a nice view to enjoy every now and then. Each part of nature, from the tiniest microscopic organism to the biggest of galaxies make up pages of a 'book,' as our Confession describes it. Notice all of the communication oriented verbs that David attributes to nature: The heavens declare the glory of God; The skies proclaim the work of His hands; They pour forth speech and reveal (tells - LEB) knowledge; Their voice goes out into all the earth. All of God's wondrous creation has one unified goal that each aspect of it communicates in a slightly different, yet harmonious way: it declares / proclaims / reveals the glory of its creator! While it is nice to have at least one thing that still unifies us as people, the sad fact is that most people aren't hearing what their eyes are seeing. Although God speaks through creation, and does so in a way that transcends the language barrier, not "a sound is heard from it (v3)." The second greatest 'book' ever written doesn't have a single 'word' in it! But yet it still tells so much about the One who wrote it. Dig Deeper We understand that God communicates Himself to us in two different ways: through special revelation, meaning scripture (which we'll dig into later), and more generally, through creation. But as we'll see, sin has drastically impaired our ability to understand what God says about Himself through His creation. Just as you might come to a incorrect conclusion trying to read something without your glasses on, most people come to massively incorrect conclusions trying to read the book of nature with unaided eyes. But as we'll see throughout this week, as a born again Christian, you've been given a set of 'spectacles' which enables you to correctly understand the knowledge nature declares through the lens of scripture. So learn, explore, study, and analyze as much of it as you can! Eagerly come to know your Creator more and more through it. Psalm 19 is a great reminder that there is absolutely no dichotomy between faith and science, as long as you learn to properly read what the creation is truly declaring / proclaiming / revealing! AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, whose glory is beautifully testified to by His amazing creation; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for this beautiful universe, and pray that more and more you will come to know Him through it. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 11

There's much to learn about God, but true peace comes from realizing His incomprehensibility. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 1 We all believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that there is a single and simple spiritual being, whom we call God— eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, unchangeable, infinite, almighty; completely wise, just, and good, and the overflowing source of all good. Summary Paul must have been exhausted as he began writing these words. Romans chapter 8, which is the magnificent centerpiece of this most magnificent book of the Bible, ends with unbridled confidence, exclaiming, "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Romans 8:37)," and it goes on to boldly report that nothing can separate us from that love. But as Paul opens this next section of his letter, which focuses in on the deep mysteries regarding the relationship between God's sovereignty and man's responsibility in salvation, his tone completely changes. In introducing this topic, Paul writes, "I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart (Romans 9:2)." He realizes that so many people - including his own relatives and countrymen - will not experience this salvation. Difficult topics like this often illicit anger towards God, as people struggle to comprehend how, or what, or why God does what He does and allows what He allows. As sinners, this is actually our default reaction to things we don't like or understand: indignation and bitterness towards God, who we ignorantly blame for our problems. Many people never escape it and end up consumed by it. But not Paul. These words seem to snap him out of his sorrow and anguish. As he begins the paragraph that follows this, he's right back in the saddle again (The very next words famously begin chapter 12 - Therefore I urge you, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice...). What Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, realized and shares with us in today's passage is that you don't need to fully understand God. In fact, you can't. Just know and take peace in what these words express: that God is above all things, and that all things come from Him and through Him, and that nothing can separate you from His love. Dig Deeper Often, the more you've struggled with theology, the more you come to appreciate it. Not only is this evident in Paul's life, but also in Job's experience. The book of Job provides us some of the richest insight as to who God is and how He operates as He interacted with Job. At the end of the book, God gives Job the greatest theology lesson ever, and it completely transforms Job. Even after all of his suffering and loss - which God allowed! - Job feels peace as he submits to God's unsearchable judgments (Job 38-42). Ultimately, you need to know that God is incomprehensible. But that's ok; you really have no need for a god that you could fully comprehend anyways. So the next time you feel angry at God because you don't understand what's going on, remember this tremendous doxology at the end of Romans 11. Dig deep into all that you can know about God, but then be content to rest in the incomprehensible riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, for from Him and through Him and for Him are all things; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the strength to struggle with and learn difficult theology, but then that you will experience the peace that comes from realizing God's glorious incomprehensibility; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 10

Theology isn't just a trivial pursuit, it's the key to gaining the crown of life! Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 1 We all believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that there is a single and simple spiritual being, whom we call God— eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, unchangeable, infinite, almighty; completely wise, just, and good, and the overflowing source of all good. Summary James is a favorite book for many Christians since it gives such good and practical advice that applies to everyday situations. But today's passage illustrates that even the most practical advice is rooted deeply in theology. James begins here by reminding you to keep your eye on the prize: "the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him (v12)." This crown will come to those who have "persevered under trial," and who've "stood the test." This perseverance is not just a matter of brute force or mental/spiritual toughness. It comes from a recognition of theological reality: knowing that the temptations enticing you do not come from God, rather that they're the product of your "own evil desire (v14)." Last week we were reminded of God's simplicity, in that God defines not just Himself, but the attributes that describe Him. He's not just good, rather He defines the very concept of goodness! James reinforces this doctrine, writing that "every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights (v17)." In other words, as our Confession puts it, "God is the overflowing source of all good." Every bit of goodness in this world - even the good things done by otherwise evil people - has its source in God our Father! Furthermore, you can count on what James wrote two millennia ago being just as true today because of another theological truth James reminds us of: our Father "does not change like the shifting shadows." Since God remains the same "yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8)," you can always count on God's overflowing goodness. Dig Deeper We sort of wandered away from the idea that James began this passage with, that you and I must "persevere under trial (v12)," but that's sort of what James intended! Since sin comes when you "are dragged away by your own evil desires," it makes sense that the more you focus on solid theology (knowing who and what God is), the less you'll be distracted by the enticing temptations of the world. Theology isn't just a trivial pursuit, it's the key to gaining the crown of life! This is James' point here: Every good and perfect gift originates with God, so by investing yourself fully in knowing Him, you're surrounding yourself with good things rather than enticing temptation. The best way for you to do this is by continually digging deeper into "the word of truth, that you might be a kind of firstfruits of all God created (v18)." AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the giver of every good and perfect gift, who does not change; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for "choosing to give birth to you through the word of truth, and pray that you would pursue it, and not the enticing temptations of the world; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 9

You can't fully understand God's wisdom, but He does expect you to imitate it. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 1 We all believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that there is a single and simple spiritual being, whom we call God— eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, unchangeable, infinite, almighty; completely wise, just, and good, and the overflowing source of all good. Summary King David, more so than any other person in history, had an awesome ability to communicate deeply profound theology with beautifully accessible poetry so that the rest of us could know God as well. In this familiar Psalm, David keys in on God's omniscience, that is, His knowledge of all things, and His omnipresence, which is God's unique ability to be in all places at all times. The volume of information that God knows is staggering as a whole; He understands the intricate complexities of the smallest microscopic organism to the forces holding galaxies together, as well as every detail of everything in between. Yet David doesn't approach God's omniscience on this transcendent scale. Instead, he showcases God's immanence - the intimate relationship and knowledge God has of each us. Not only does God know every detail of the universe, He knows the seemingly meaningless things about you: when you sit and rise, what you're thinking, where you'll go today, and even the very next word you'll speak. "Such knowledge," David appropriately concludes, "is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain." Not only does God know exactly where you'll go and what you'll do when you get there, but wherever 'there' is, you can be certain that God's will be present as well, whether that be the heavens, the depths, or the other side of the chaotic sea, "even there God's hand will guide you, His right hand will hold you fast." Dig Deeper These last few months I've gotten quite familiar with AI tools like ChatGPT. What an amazing thing, to be able to harness nearly every bit of recorded knowledge and report it on demand in seconds. Yet as impressive as it is, it's nowhere close to having the omniscient knowledge God has. For one thing, ChatGPT is often incorrect (what's scarier is that it's not just mistaken at times, it's confidently wrong). All it knows is what it's been told. It has no idea what will happen in the future, and no way of morally discerning right from wrong. Even though it can report millions of historical facts, it really doesn't know the individuals recorded in history. Not the way David describes God knowing us, at least. You may have noticed that our confession doesn't use words like omnisciecent or omnipresent, even though it communicates those ideas. Rather it simply says that God is "completely wise, [and] just." It's this wisdom that ChatGPT and the world in general miss out on. Here's how theologian John Frame puts it: God has not only knowledge but also wisdom. Wisdom is a heightened form of knowledge that understands the deep significance of something and its practical relevance (Pss. 104:24; 136:5; Rom. 11:33). Wisdom is knowledge in depth, knowledge going to work. Sometimes in Scripture wisdom can be translated “skill.” This is the wisdom that "searches you" and "hems you in" as it "guides you." This is the wisdom that, as one created in God's image, you must seek to reflect in the way you live. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who knows all things and is present in all places, overseeing all things in His perfect wisdom; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your wisdom would reflect the one who created you; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 8

Relax: God omnipotently controls all of history as He pleases. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 1 We all believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that there is a single and simple spiritual being, whom we call God— eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, unchangeable, infinite, almighty; completely wise, just, and good, and the overflowing source of all good. Summary Most of the book of Isaiah was written to warn God's rebellious people that if they did not repent God would send them into exile, which of course did happen when God used the Babylonians to defeat Israel. But this final section of the book is written to be an encouragement to the people once the exile has occurred. God tells His people of their coming salvation, even before their exile had begun! History records that one of the most powerful men to ever live, King Cyrus, would be the one to defeat the Babylonians and subsequently return Israel's remnant back home seventy years after they had been taken away. God reminds His people - both then, and now - that He is omnipotently controlling history (Cyrus is the "bird of prey" from the east that God has summoned in v11 to "fulfill His purpose"). God calls His people to two specific actions in today's passage: First He calls the "rebels" to remember who He is (v9): to know He is God and there is none other like Him, and that He will "do all that [He] pleases (v10)." Secondly, He demands the "stubborn hearted" must "listen to me" (v12). Of course all of God's Word is worth listening to, but the next few words that come in v13 are key to understanding the message of the gospel. God is not coming to bring salvation just to make life a little better for His people. Rather, He's bringing salvation to those "far from [His] righteousness" by "bringing [His] righteousness near" (v12-13). In the immediate context, God would use mighty King Cyrus to bring salvation to Israel, but it's not hard to see how this passage illustrates that all of God's omnipotence is focused on one goal: restoring the righteousness of His rebellious, stubborn people (us) through His Son so that we can once again be in a right relationship with Him. Dig Deeper The Latin-based word, omnipotence, literally means all-power. So it's not really wrong for you to understand that your omnipotent Father can do all things. But that's not really technically correct when it comes down to it. Every kid has pondered the age old question: can God make a rock so big that He can't lift it? The paradoxical question is silly for sure, but it does help us understand God's omnipotence correctly. There are limits to what God can do: God constrains Himself by Himself. In other words, God can not do that which violate His own attributes. He can not show anger in a way that violates His love, just as He cannot show mercy in a way that infringes His justice. God explains exactly how you ought to understand His omnipotence in v10 when He says, "I will do all that I please." As you begin a new year, find peace by keeping these two commands God gives you in Isaiah 46: Remember who God is and that He has an unblemished record in controlling history in the way that He pleases, and, listen to Him as He builds you up in the righteousness won for you by Christ. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our omnipotent Father, who will do all that He pleases; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that in this new year you will remember who God is and listen to His Word; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 7

The only constant is change, except when it comes to God. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 1 We all believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that there is a single and simple spiritual being, whom we call God— eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, unchangeable, infinite, almighty; completely wise, just, and good, and the overflowing source of all good. Summary You can feel the pain being expressed in Psalm 102. The writer is crushed in anguish and it seems like the end of his life is near as his days "vanish like smoke." Yet this person is doing exactly as one ought to do in such a situation - cry out to God for help. It's often been said that there are no atheists in foxholes, meaning that when push comes to shove, and people have no other hope, most people will pray to God, even if it's been decades since they last prayed. But it doesn't appear here that the author is throwing up a last minute prayer just in case there does happen to be a God that's listening. Although we don't know who wrote this psalm, it seems likely that the psalmist knew who he was praying to. This psalmist prays confidently and hopefully because he has a rock solid theology. He doesn't just have a 'relationship' with God, he knows who and what God is, what He's done, and why He can help in this situation. The final stanza make this clear: v25 - God laid the foundations of the earth and formed the heavens; v26 - Although the world will "wear out like a garment," God will "remain the same, and His years will never end." It's interesting how this Psalm ends with this praise of God, leaving the fate of the author unresolved. Did God answer this beautiful prayer, or did death prevail? One of the big points of Psalm 102 is that for those whose hope is grounded in God's unchangeable character, it really doesn't matter how various crises in our lives play out. Dig Deeper It's what we read in v26 that grabs our attention today: that God is immutable. This simply means that God will "remain the same, and His years will never end." This means that the descriptions of God we read in Psalm 102 are just as accurate today as they were thousands of years ago when first written. This means that the God who made covenant promises to Adam, Abraham, Moses, David and others is the same God that will listen to your prayer today. You're mutable - you change over time, and that's a good thing. You probably don't want to be the same person you were in high school. But the fact that God's unchangeable is one of the most comforting things you can know about Him. His always perfect love for you "remains the same, yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8)." AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our unchanging Father, who will not hide His face from your distress (v2); ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that although everything else in this world constantly changes, that He always remains the same; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 6

Jesus gives the deepest theological insights to people just like you. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 1 We all believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that there is a single and simple spiritual being, whom we call God— eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, unchangeable, infinite, almighty; completely wise, just, and good, and the overflowing source of all good. Summary One of the beefiest books I have on my shelf is called Systematic Theology, by Louis Berkhof. It weighs in at nearly 1,100 pages of very small type, and as its title implies, it explains in significant detail what the Bible says about God. Yet, when it comes right down to it, Berkhof is forced to admit that "the Bible does not give us a definition of God." The Bible certainly explains quite a bit about God's attributes, character and the things He's done, but nowhere does it provide a stand alone description of exactly what God is. So when Jesus says in v24 that "God is spirit," it ought to get your attention. This is the fullest definition you'll find for God anywhere. Notice here exactly what Jesus said and what He didn't say. He didn't say that God is a spirit, He just said that God is spirit. This makes sense in light of the name God gave Himself: I AM. Just like He does with His other attributes, God defines that which He is. Dig Deeper The format in which Jesus explains what God is adds to our understanding. Jesus doesn't give a speech at a theological conference attended by religious elites, or package His explanation in an 1,100 page book, or even post a series of binge-worthy podcasts. It's not that those formats aren't good and even necessary things, it's just that the context of this conversation deepens the meaning of the one word definition Jesus gives of God. Jesus speaks these invaluable words to a fallen, broken, outcast woman - a Samaritan woman at that! And He does so right after calling her out for her sin and deception. Do you see what this means? It means that knowing God is not just a lofty ideal, attainable only by self righteous monks who climb the religious mountain, so to speak. Theology - knowing what God is and what He has done and is doing - is for common, ordinary, sinful folks; people just like you and me. Nor is theology an optional thing for Christians. You can't just hold onto the Bible's warm fuzzies like love, joy and peace without a firm grasp of the Bible's dogmatic claims. In fact, the very next thing that Jesus says here is that those who worship God must worship Him in spirit and truth. The Christ has come - the one which this sinful woman knew would be able to explain everything to us (v25). He's given us His Word, that we might fully know Him and worship Him in that truth. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father God, who is spirit; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for giving us the truth in His Word, and pray that you would know it well so you can fulfill your purpose of worshipping Him; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 5

God is invisible, but there is a way you can see Him! Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 1 We all believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that there is a single and simple spiritual being, whom we call God— eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, unchangeable, infinite, almighty; completely wise, just, and good, and the overflowing source of all good. Summary The Bible doesn't explain theology in a dull, clinical way detached from the rest of life. Quite the opposite, in fact. If you've read John 1 before, and you likely have, you know that the primary purpose of this passage isn't to catalog just a few more of God's esoteric attributes. Rather, the point of this amazing chapter is to proclaim the good news that God Almighty has become Immanuel and has come to live amongst us! But it's exactly in contexts just like this one that we learn so much about our God and Father! Theology is more than tedious explanations of the divine or a fancy skill that will help you win at Bible trivia; theology is the language and knowledge we use to understand our salvation and then apply it to our daily lives. Near the close of what's come to be known as the prologue to John's gospel, John drops a huge theological nugget, writing that "no one has ever seen God." In other words, God is invisible. 'But wait a second,' you might be thinking, 'what about guys like Abraham and Moses; didn't they encounter God in a way that they could see with their own eyes?' Yes, they did! These encounters are called theophanies, and there's actually lots of examples in the Bible of people seeing a limited aspect of God's presence. But just as Moses couldn't see God's face and live (Exodus 33:20), no one had fully seen God until that first Christmas, when "the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in the closest relationship with the Father, made Him known. This means that if you truly want to see and know the invisible God, you must know Him through the Word made flesh - Jesus. Dig Deeper Most people have packed up and moved on past Christmas by now. The discarded wrapping paper has been picked up, the gifts already forgotten, and the brief spiritual highs experienced at Christmas church services has faded away. To most, God remains invisible, and will stay so until they stand before Him in judgment. They can't see the beauty of how His law guides our lives, and they certainly don't know how His salvation frees us from our slavery to sin. Maybe they saw a momentary glimpse of the light during Christmas, but their lives are already dark again. Don't be one of these people! Do the hard work of knowing Christ each and every day of the year. Keep reading the Bible; keep making time during the day to disconnect from the noise to pray and think; keep gathering with God's people on the Lord's Day to hear His Word proclaimed. This is theology: living in the light of God's presence made visible through the Word. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, invisible to most, but made known through the grace and truth of His Word; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the strength and energy to do the hard work necessary to see God everyday this year as you read & listen to His Word; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 4

God's infinite nature isn't meant to confuse you, but to bring you comfort. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 1 We all believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that there is a single and simple spiritual being, whom we call God— eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, unchangeable, infinite, almighty; completely wise, just, and good, and the overflowing source of all good. Summary Thinking about the transcendence of God - that is, His overarching control, authority and presence over all things - can seem quite intimidating, but that's not the way Moses approaches the subject. Moses sees the overwhelming attributes of God as being the source of our comfort: that God is "our dwelling place (literally our refuge/assistance) from generation to generation." Moses is uniquely qualified to write a Psalm like this, describing God's eternal infiniteness. Moses isn't writing abstract, theoretical theology here; he's writing from experience! Moses spent time in the direct presence of God; so much so that when he came down from the mountain, his face glowed! This is one of the reasons the introduction to Psalm 90 calls Moses "the man of God." Our words quickly become inadequate when describing God's eternal nature. We can say along with Moses here that God existed before the mountains were born, and that He was the one who brought for the whole world (meaning all created things), but to say that God existed before time is incongruent, since terms like before and after are terms that require time to exist in order to make sense. Time itself is part of God's creation, and because God exists outside of the time He created, then temporal descriptions don't apply to Him. This is why Moses writes that "from everlasting to everlasting, you are God." Moses goes on to explain that "A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by," to which Peter will add that "With the Lord... a day is like a thousand years (2 Peter 3:8)." Dig Deeper As we spend the next few days being reminded of not just who God is, but what He is, you might notice that most of the terms we use to describe Him are negative. This certainly doesn't mean we have a dim view of God, but rather that ultimately all we can do in detailing some aspects of His character is to say what He is not. Such is the case with the two attributes we're concentrating on today. It's easy to see how the word infinite is a negative term; it simply means not-finite. There is no end to God's divinity. It can not be contained, or even fully described. But even the word eternal is a negative term, in that we can only describe what it isn't, not what it is. To be eternal is to have no beginning and no ending. Trying to think about concepts that exceed out linguistic capacities may be giving you a headache by now. But remember, the Bible doesn't describe God's eternal and infinite nature to confuse or intimidate you, but rather so that you can find peace in Him, your indescribable Dwelling Place. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the one who brought forth the whole word and everything in it; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for being your dwelling place, and pray that you will do the hard & sometimes confusing work of knowing Him as the Bible describes Him; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 3

Understanding God's simplicity is the key to understanding this complex world. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 1 We all believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that there is a single and simple spiritual being, whom we call God— eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, unchangeable, infinite, almighty; completely wise, just, and good, and the overflowing source of all good. Summary One of the first pieces of information we learn about a person we've just met is their name. It's likely that prior to this encounter at the burning bush, Moses had a vague concept of God, but he comes to know Him up close and personal here, and unsurprisingly, the first thing Moses wants to know is the name behind the mysterious voice. You might expect God to have a long and complex name, similar to the official titles European kings sometimes have - names that sometimes take up a whole paragraph! But the LORD God Almighty, who is referred to by a number of names throughout scripture, refers to Himself with a name that is both surprisingly simple, yet massively profound. God instructs Moses to call Him: I AM who I AM. God continues, "This is my name forever, the name you should call me from generation to generation." The simplicity of this name is quite apparent: two single syllable words, repeated twice. It's even simpler in Hebrew: YWHW. This name is often referred to by its simplicity. Theologians call it the Divine Tetragrammaton, meaning the four letter word. But don't let the simplicity of this name fool you! The name God chooses to call Himself sets Him apart from from anything else in creation. Dig Deeper One of the first things our Confession says about God is that He's simple. Often in our culture, that's not a flattering description for a person, but it certainly is in theology, and God is the only one who can be described as such. On the other hand, you are a complex creature. You are both physical and spiritual. You have days when you're pleasant, and other days when you're cranky. Since you're made in God's image, you, like Him, have thoughts, emotions and a will, but most of the time it's hard for us to keep all three of those things aligned. So we feel differently from what we know is right, and do things that don't really match the way we think or feel. In His simplicity, God exists as the fullness of His attributes, all at once. God is merciful all of the time, but at the same time His mercy never restricts His justice. His thoughts, emotions, and will are never in conflict. Another way of expressing God's name of I AM is to say that God Is. He defines Himself. He's not just a good God, He is good; He defines the very concept of goodness itself, as well as all of His other attributes. Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck puts it this way: God is the real, the true being, the fullness of being, the sum total of all reality and perfection, the totality of being, from which all other being owes its existence. Simple, right? AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: The LORD, the God of your fathers and the only one who simply exists in Himself; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will be able to give God the reverence and respect that His simple holiness demands; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 2