Category: Knowing God

Knowing God Week 32

8/11/2026

It was a challenge coming up with my Knowing God statement for this week’s Bible reading.

One thing that stood out is that Zephaniah 1–3 and Jeremiah 1–17 hold together qualities we often separate: God is holy and just, yet deeply compassionate; He judges sin, yet continually calls His people home.

Here are the aspects of God’s character I found:

God is holy. He will not overlook sin, idolatry, injustice, or spiritual unfaithfulness (Zeph. 1:4–6; Jer. 2:11–13; 7:9–11).
God is just and righteous. His judgment is never arbitrary. Judah had persistently rejected Him despite repeated warnings (Zeph. 3:5; Jer. 5:1–9).
God is patient and long-suffering. Again and again He warns before judgment comes. Jeremiah’s repeated calls to “return” reveal how reluctant God is to abandon His people to the consequences of their rebellion (Jer. 3:12–14, 22; 4:1).
God is merciful. Even after terrible unfaithfulness, He says, “Return, faithless Israel” (Jer. 3:12). His desire is restoration, not merely punishment.
God is faithful. His people are unfaithful, but He remains true to His covenant and His own character.
God is sovereign over nations. He rules not only Judah but the nations and even uses nations to accomplish His purposes (Zeph. 2; Jer. 1:10, 15).
God knows us personally. One of the most beautiful statements comes immediately in Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jer. 1:5).
God calls and equips His servants. Jeremiah feels inadequate, but God does not simply give him an assignment—He promises His presence: “I am with you to deliver you” (Jer. 1:8, 19).
God is the source of life and satisfaction. He calls Himself “the fountain of living waters” (Jer. 2:13). Everything pursued apart from Him is ultimately a broken cistern.
God desires relationship, not empty religion. Jeremiah 7 makes this especially clear. Temple attendance, sacrifices, and religious words mean nothing when hearts remain far from Him.
God sees the heart. External appearances cannot fool Him. “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind” (Jer. 17:10).
God knows the depth of human sin. He understands our hearts better than we understand them: “The heart is deceitful above all things” (Jer. 17:9).
God is trustworthy. Jeremiah 17 contrasts trusting human strength with trusting the Lord. The person who trusts Him becomes “like a tree planted by water” (Jer. 17:7–8).
God disciplines those who belong to Him. His judgment of Judah isn’t evidence that He has stopped caring. Their sin matters precisely because their relationship with Him matters.
God is jealous for His people’s affection. Jeremiah repeatedly uses the imagery of marriage and adultery. Their idolatry isn’t merely rule-breaking—it is betrayal of a relationship (Jer. 2–3).
God grieves over rebellion. There is tremendous heartbreak behind Jeremiah’s language. God remembers the earlier devotion of His people (Jer. 2:2) and mourns what they have become.
God speaks truth even when it is painful. He doesn’t flatter His people or minimize their condition. His love includes confronting them with what is destroying them.
God offers refuge to the humble. Zephaniah calls people to “seek the LORD…seek righteousness; seek humility” (Zeph. 2:3).
God restores. Judgment is not the final word. Zephaniah moves from the terrifying Day of the Lord to purification, restoration, and God’s gathered people (Zeph. 3:9–20).
God delights in His people. Perhaps the most tender revelation of His character in all these chapters is Zephaniah 3:17: “The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness…” The holy God who judges rebellion is also the God who rejoices over His redeemed people.
God is present. Zephaniah 3:17 says He is “in your midst.” Jeremiah 1 says, “I am with you.” His people may wander away from Him, but His desire throughout these chapters is to bring them back into His presence.

The picture that emerges is that God’s judgment and God’s love aren’t contradictions.

God judges because He is holy.
He warns because He is merciful.
He disciplines because sin destroys those He loves.
He calls, “Return,” because He desires relationship.
He restores because He is faithful.
And when His people return, He rejoices over them.
So here is my statement for the week--

Knowing that God is holy and just, yet deeply compassionate—that He judges sin Yet continually calls His people home—shows me that even when I wander, He doesn’t give up on me. There may still be consequences for my sin, but He calls me back. He draws me close. He forgives me, restores me, and delights in renewing my relationship with Him.

So here is my statement for the week--

Knowing that God is holy and just, yet deeply compassionate—that He judges sin Yet continually calls His people home—shows me that even when I wander, He doesn’t give up on me. There may still be consequences for my sin, but He calls me back. He draws me close. He forgives me, restores me, and delights in renewing my relationship with Him.

Knowing God —Week 31

8/4/2026

Knowing that God has clothed me with the garments of salvation and covered me with the robe of righteousness shows me that I should never remain silent about the Gospel. I should rejoice in His goodness and proclaim His mercy and grace. What He has done for me is far too wonderful to keep to myself. May my life and my words always point others to the One who saved me, clothed me in His righteousness, and gave me every reason to rejoice.

From Isaiah 61:10 and 62:1

Knowing that God reveals Himself through His creation, through His people, and through His Word shows me that I want to live with open eyes and an attentive heart, intentionally looking for His presence and recognizing the ways He is making Himself known all around me—in His creation, in the lives of those around me, and in the truth of Scripture.

Father God, help me never become so distracted by the busyness of life that I miss the countless ways You are making Yourself known each day. In the mighty and precious name of Your Son, King Jesus, I pray. Amen.

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