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"What do you call God?"

A thought by Craig Groeschel, from his book, The Christian Atheist: When You Believe in God But Live as if He Doesn’t Exist (p. 42). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

I know, I know this is not technically a thought, it is a question.  But it is a very good question. And the answer to it tells a lot about who God is to us personally.  

Craig asks, “What do you call God? The Big Guy in the Sky? The Man Upstairs? Dear eight-pound, six-ounce Baby Jesus?”

He then continues, “Then you don’t know him. Those titles may be clever or funny, but they certainly aren’t intimate.

“If you know God, you are likely to be far more specific with him, and the words you use will reflect your accurate understanding of him. Maybe God graciously forgave you for two decades of sins and you gratefully call him ‘Savior.’ Perhaps when you pray, you call God ‘Healer’ because he’s healed your broken heart. Maybe you call him ‘Comforter’ because he has come alongside and provided company in your misery. Maybe you call him ‘Fortress’ or ‘Rock’ or ‘Strength.’ Maybe you’ve found yourself backed into a corner, with nowhere to turn, creditors calling, and he’s ‘Provide’ to you. If you’re a woman, and the man in your life abandoned you, you might even call him ‘Husband.’ When you feel totally alone, perhaps you call him ‘Friend.’ Maybe your earthly father has never been there for you, and to you God is ‘Father.’”

He then says, “What do you call God? Your answer may be a clue to how well you know him. Or don’t.”

Now you can know God, you really can.  And that is what he really wants.  He wants to have a relationship with you.  He sent his Son, Jesus into the world to show you what He is like.  So, do you want to know him?  A good place to start is the Bible, and the book of John in the Bible will start to show you what Jesus, his Son is like.  John 3:16 (NLT) says, “So this is how God loved the world:  He gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”


So, do you want to know God?
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