Here is my take on 29 things that God is to me. It is long. I try to share these with each of my counselees to get clarity on who God is to them.
WHO IS GOD TO YOU?
1. He is my HEALER (Psalm 103:3) “[The Lord] who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.”
• Do you believe or do you not believe this Scripture? This is a basic question, not that we believe in Jesus, but do we believe Jesus?
• If He doesn’t do these (forgives and heals), is He a liar? No, God cannot lie [Num 23:19], [1 Samuel 15:29], [Heb 6:18] [Psalm 89:35].
• Does He forgive all our sins, past, present and future? Yes. [Col 2:13-14]
• If not, what sins does He not forgive? The only unpardonable sin is described as lying to or blaspheming the Holy Spirit. [Mark 3:29] A born-again believer cannot do that, so to the Christian, there is no sin that cannot be forgiven.
• Does He heal everyone, all the time here on Earth? It depends on what you call healing and it depends on what you call diseases. In this case, disease can mean spiritual or soul maladies as well as physical maladies. We know that ultimate healing will always take place in heaven where there will be “no more tears, no more death, no more mourning, no more crying nor pain.” [Rev 21:4]
• Why doesn’t He completely heal every one of every ailment all the time? Then there certainly wouldn’t be any need for doctors or medicines or hospitals and everyone would live forever, disease-free. [Hebrews 9:27].
2. He is my REDEEMER (Isaiah 59:20) “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins.”
• What does it mean to redeem something? It means to exchange one thing for another – ie a coupon for a product or a ticket for a sports event. There is always a cost in any redemption.
• Why do we need redemption? Biblically, redemption means ‘to buy out’ like purchasing a slave’s freedom. Prior to Christ’s death on the cross, we were slaves to sin [Romans 6:20-23] but were bought by the price of His blood.
• Who redeems us? Christ and Christ alone. [Gal 3:13]
• Why does He redeem us? There was a problem (Houston). Sin that originated in the Garden of Eden came about because of disobedience and pride. God created us to know Him, obey Him and live unselfishly for Him. [Rom 3:23]
3. He is my DELIVERER (Psalm 70:5) “But as for me, I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; Lord, do not delay.
• What is a deliverer? Someone who brings us something we want or someone who saves us from receiving something we don’t want. It is someone who rescues us from the wrath of a just God.
• Why do we need delivery? Because God wants that no man to go through His wrath unnecessarily. We are destined not for wrath because of Jesus Christ. [1 Thess 5:9]
• Who is our deliverer? Jesus Christ is our one and only deliverer. [Rom 10:9]
4. He is my STRENGTH (Psalm 43:2) “You are God my stronghold…”
• What is a stronghold? A stronghold is a safe place to go for protection. It was used in Bible times to describe a fortress or fortified place of refuge. A stronghold can also be an area dominated by a special group of people with one mind.
• Why do we need strongholds? We need safe places to run to physically, emotionally and even spiritually when danger is apparent in our lives in any of these areas. On our own, we are open to attacks that we are unable to defend ourselves by against.
• Who is our ultimate Stronghold? God. He wants us to run to Him through Jesus Christ whenever we are experiencing attacks. Paul was clear when he said that we are not fighting against flesh and blood but against evil rulers and authorities, and against the spiritual forces of evil. [Eph 6:12]
• Why do we not use God as our stronghold but run to idols or people or other things? We often run to ‘comforts’ such as substances or addictions because they are often tangible, easily obtainable and give short-term relief. Ultimately, they all fail us then we realize that God is our only refuge, strength and strong tower.
5. He is my SHELTER (Joel 3:16) “The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the heavens will tremble. But the Lord will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.”
• What is a Shelter? Similar to a stronghold, a shelter is a place of safety. A shelter can also be a refuge where we will find safety and calm and peace.
• Why do we need a Shelter? Because we are unable to shelter or protect ourselves from all the bad in this world. (See Stronghold above)
• Who is our Shelter? The Lord, God. It is also described in verse one of a well-known Psalm which says, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High (Elyon) will rest in the shadow of the Almighty (Shaddai). I will say of the Lord (Yahweh), “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God (Elohim) in whom I trust.” [Psalm 91:1] Notice the four separate names of God in his verse.
6. He is my FRIEND (John 15:15) “I no longer call you servants because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from the Father I have made known to you.”
• What is a friend? A friend is someone who knows us well and stands up for us and loves us in bad times and good times.
• Who is our best friend? It is Jesus who called us for His glory as friends and not strangers. He knows us the most. He stands up for us always and He surely loves us as no human can. Jesus calls us friend even if we do bad things and forget Him. He never forgets but always forgives.
7. He is my ADVOCATE (1 John 2:1) “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin, But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ the Righteous One.”
• What is an advocate? An advocate is a person who speaks, pleads or argues in favour of us, especially in the case of a court case. He also supports us and offers us strength when necessary. [John 14:16, 26 and 15:26]
• Why do we need an advocate? We need an advocate because we have no right standing with God by ourselves. We cannot defend ourselves or our actions before God because He is absolutely Holy and we are not.
• Who is our advocate? Jesus Christ is our only advocate before God. God actually sent us the Holy Spirit through Christ in order to be our current, daily advocate.
8. He is my RESTORER (Psalm 23:3) “…He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.”
• What does restoration and restorer mean? Biblically, restoration means to be brought back into alignment, or its original state, according to the plans and purposes of God. A Restorer is one who can do that. Restoration can be physical or spiritual, and we need both.
• Why do we need restoration? Because we were broken by sin ever since the Garden. Sin is the destroyer of our bodies and our spirits. We need restoration to gain back the perfect health that God wanted for us – to live forever in Him and with Him and to gain wholeness in our spirit that is aligned to the perfection of His Holy Spirit. We are broken vessels and need mending. [Jeremiah 2:13, Psalm 69:20]
• Who is our only Restorer? Jesus Christ (and His Holy Spirit) are the only ones who can mend, repair and restore our brokenness. “The Lord is near the brokenhearted” [Psalm 34:18] and the Potter repairs us as clay pots are repaired [Jeremiah 18:4]. No attempt by man can completely heal a broken body, a broken heart and a broken spirit. God’s word is clear that only the Triune Godhead has the power and authority to restore us back to the Garden.
9. He is my EVERLASTING FATHER (Isaiah 9:6) “For to us a child is born, a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be called ‘Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’”
• What is a father? Many people have a fondness for their earthly father but some do not have such good memories. In either case, an earthly father is the man who begat us and along with our mothers, nurtured us to adulthood. He was often the teacher of life and a longtime advocate.
• Why do we then need a Heavenly Father? Earthly fathers are imperfect and therefore cannot teach perfectly or nurture perfectly. Only God the Father can.
• God is our Creator, Sustainer and Perfect Father (Abba)
10. He is LOVE (1 John 4:16) “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.”
• What is love? Well, this is an age-old issue that has defied definition. But the love of God mentioned here is best explained from what the Greek term ‘agapao’ means. That is, unconditional affection, desire and concern for His children, with no strings attached. The nuances of this have taken laymen and scholars millennia to perfect the definition that addresses all the variations of love.
• Why do we humans need love? Humans are created after the image of God, male and female, to be in relationship with each other and with God. Love could be considered the ‘glue’ that holds these relationships together. Love promotes only positiveness and never negativeness. Love builds up and never tears down. I believe the human spirit and body need love to be made complete and love just feels good!
• Who is our greatest source of love? Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the epitome of love. That is, His love is sacrificial, true, never ending and pure.
11. He is my MEDIATOR (1 Timothy 2:5-6) “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all people.”
• What is a mediator? A mediator is a person who knows both sides of a situation and brings wisdom to it in order that both parties are reconciled. A mediator is part of the conflict only to the extent of assisting the two parties without favouring either one.
• Why do we need a mediator? We need a mediator because, even though we can now go boldly into the Throne Room of Grace, by Christ’s death and resurrection [Hebrews 4:16], we still cannot stand in the physical presence of God and stare into His glorious face. Yes, we do have His presence within us by the indwelling of His Holy Spirit. Now in His presence, Jesus continually intercedes on our behalf so that God only sees the Mediator and not us.
• Who is our only mediator? Jesus Christ.
12. He is my STRONGHOLD (Nahum 1:7) “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for us who trust in Him.”
• What is a stronghold? See #4 and #5 above. He is our strength and our shelter and our refuge or safe place in times of trouble. All these terms can apply to a stronghold.
• Why do we need a stronghold? Because we are attacked on every side by Satan, the World and our flesh and we cannot defend ourselves from these attacks by our strength. Zachariah 4:6 says, “So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by my might or by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.”
• Who is our strong tower? Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. He is the Lord and He is good, a refuge in times of trouble, and He cares for us.
13. He is the BREAD OF LIFE (John 6:35) Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry and whoever comes to me will never go hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
• Why do we need bread (food)? Food is necessary to maintain physical life. Food provides energy in the form of glucose, to power each and every cell in our body. That not only keeps our bodies functioning as they were designed but also allows us to do things physically and think things mentally.
• Why do we need Spiritual food? We need spiritual feeding on the Word of the Lord in order to:
1) understand our Creator, 2) know His will for our lives, 3) know the reason for our existence, and 4) experience the best in life that God has for us. Jesus knew this when He said that He is the bread of life’. Even more importantly, He knew that as we taste and see Him as the Bread of Life here on earth, we are being equipped for our eternal life with Him in glory.
• Who is our only Spiritual food? Jesus Christ is our only source of Spiritual food. There is no one else in all creation who can save us, deliver us and sustain our spiritual lives.
14. He is my HIDING PLACE (Psalm 32:7) You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”
• What is a hiding place and why do we need one? A hiding place is a place where we can go for protection and safety. Unlike a strong tower, a hiding place is not necessarily a building or structure, but a place, room or area where we can be with God, out of sight, so to speak from Satan and the world. God promises that when we are with Him, He will be our hiding place. A hiding place is not necessarily a place where we escape from reality, but a place where we run into Spiritual security.
• Who is our hiding place? Without exception, Jesus is the only safe place for Spiritual security. Many run to substances or relationships or even physical places to hide from the world, but they will always take themselves there, so they are never secure in this type of hiding place.
15. He is the EVERLASTING LIGHT (Isaiah 60:20) “Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end.”
• What is light? Light is a form of energy that allows us to perceive our surroundings. It makes things visible to our eyes.
• Why do we need light? Light fuels photosynthesis that allows plants to live. The sun produces both heat and light that allows us to live. Without these, life on earth could not exist as we know it.
• Who is the ‘light of the world’ The ultimate ‘light’ for our lives is Jesus Christ, who brings all wisdom and understanding. His light will never end as long as He exists.
16. He is a STRONG TOWER (Proverbs 18:10) “The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and are saved.”
• What is a Strong tower? (see #4, #5, #12 and #14) In this case it is a place where we are indeed saved. Yes, we are saved by grace through faith [Eph 2:8], but it is good to think about our salvation as a place as well. So, words from before like Shelter, Fortress, Stronghold and Hiding Place, can all help describe the fact that we are safe and secure in Christ.
• Why do we need a Strong Tower? Because we are unable to save ourselves or protect ourselves. The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. [Matthew 26:41]
• Who is our Strong Tower? Jesus Christ is. The Trinity in total assures us of our future in safety and security for ever.
17. He is my RESTING PLACE (Jeremiah 50:6) “My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place.”
• What is a Resting Place? It is often described as a place, location or even a person in which we can find peace or shalom from the storms and dangers of the world, Satan and our flesh.
• Why do we need a Resting Place? The human body was not designed for 24/7 operation. That is why rest and sleep are a necessary part of life. We were also not designed to handle all the stresses that are thrown our way, all the worries or anxieties, be they external or internal. Jesus said, “Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” [Matthew 11:28-30]
• Who is our Resting Place? Jesus Christ is our Resting Place. He is the ultimate place of our peace and our ultimate source of love.
18. He is the SPIRIT OF TRUTH (John 16:13) “But when He, the Spirit of Truth comes. He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own, He will only speak what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.”
• What is Truth? This is an ancient question that even Pilate asked of Jesus in John 18:38. The dictionary says that truth is the conformity to fact or actuality. The world says that here absolute truth and there is relative truth. The problem is that humans view things differently depending on many things like their mood, belief system, even the societal norms they live in. For Christians, truth is the reality of a situation that only comes from a Biblical world-viewpoint.
• What is the Spirit of Truth? God gave us His Holy Spirit through Christ to bring us the absolute truth in all things.
• Who is the Spirit of Truth? The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. [John 14:17]
19. He is my REFUGE FROM THE STORM (Isaiah 25:4) “You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm.”
• What is a Refuge? A refuge is a place where we can go for security and safety. The place may be inside a house or in an actual shelter, but it is always a place where we can feel and be safe.
• Why do we need a Refuge in life? There could be physical dangers from which we need to flee. There could be people who want to harm us or a situation where we feel anxious. In any case, our ‘fight or flight’ instincts come into action we often choose ‘flight’ in order to feel safe. Even in feelings of discontent or uncertainty or confusion, we need to seek refuge.
• Who is our ultimate Refuge? God is our ultimate refuge from dangers in life, be they physical, emotional or spiritual. Physical danger may happen, but our souls will always be at rest in the Lord.
20. He is ETERNAL LIFE (l John 5:20) “We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him who is true by being in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”
• What is Eternal Life? Eternal life is the real life after this life on earth has ended. Eternal life lasts forever.
• Why do we need Eternal Life? It is not so much a need but a gift of grace by God so that we will forever be with Him in His Paradise, called Heaven. It is a place of ultimate security and love.
• Who gives us Eternal Life? Jesus Christ gives us eternal life and is what believers have their hope in. All people will die a physical death but only believers will have eternal life with God in Heaven.
21. He is the LORD WHO PROVIDES (Genesis 22:14) “So Abraham called the place “The Lord Will Provide” (or in Aramaic, Jehovah Jireh). And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
• What are Provisions? Provisions can be anything that we receive for life or health or to meet our basic human needs. In the Bible, provisions are also spiritual things that God provides for our spiritual growth or even safety.
• Why do we need Provisions? We need physical provisions to keep living; that is, food, water, shelter and clothing. But we also need provisions in the form of grace that sees us through emotional catastrophes. In this verse, God provided a goat for the sacrifice that Abraham was making, so that he would not have to actually sacrifice the life of his son Isaac.
• Who is our present Provider? Jesus Christ provides every physical and spiritual need that we have. He often does this through our work and labour, but always through His grace.
22. He is the LORD OF PEACE (2 Thessalonians 3:16) “Now may the Lord of Peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with you all.”
• Why do we need Peace in our lives? Peace is often defined as the absence of war. But God’s peace or shalom is the internal state of rest in man’s heart, in any circumstance. It is not a “don’t care” state but one that says I don’t need to care to the degree that I become anxious or frustrated or in turmoil.
• What does Jesus say about Peace? In John 16:33, Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” In other words, it is not that we will never have trouble, for surely, we will. But that in the trouble, He will give us His peace through His Holy Spirit.
• Who is our source of ultimate Peace? Jesus Christ.
23. He is the LIVING WATER (John 4:10) “Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and Who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.”
• What is Water? Scientifically, water is a chemical compound made up of hydrogen and oxygen, H2O. It is one of the most abundant materials on earth, making up about 70% of its surface. Not all water is potable though. Water can be in a liquid form, gaseous form or solid form,
• Why do we need water? Physically, all living creatures need water and need it often. It is said that a human can only last a few days without water. In most cases, this amounts to only three days. Water hydrates living organisms down to the cellular level.
• Why do we need more than just physical water? Jesus said above that He would give the woman at the well, living water (John 4:10). What does that mean? It does not mean that Jesus is the drinkable liquid that she needs to survive. It does mean though, that spiritually, He is the source of spiritual life to her and to us.
• Who is our Spiritual Living Water? Jesus Christ is our only source of true Spiritual, life-giving water.
24. He is my SHIELD (Psalm 144:2) “He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield in whom I take refuge who subdues peoples under me.”
• What is a Shield? A Shield is a hand-held piece of armour that a soldier carried in order to protect him from sword thrusts, knife jabs, thrown rocks and arrows and spears. Nowadays, a shield is of little use against bullets and bombs.
• Why do we need a (Spiritual) Shield? Nowadays we probably don’t need a physical shield in our lives but we do need to be shielded or protected from the schemes of Satan. Our Spiritual Shield is one of the pieces of the Armour of God that is described in Ephesians 6, verses 10-18.
• Who is our Shield? The Bible clearly says that God (Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit) is our shield against the schemes of the enemy, Satan.
25. He is my HELPER (Hebrews 13:6) “So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
• What is a Helper? A helper is a person who comes alongside us to assist us in a situation in life. It may be physical help, or emotional help or even spiritual help that is given. Helpers most often do their assistance as a volunteer or friend.
• Why do we need a Helper? Mankind, right from the Garden, was deemed to need a helper. [Gen 1:20b-25] and God created one for Adam and Adam named her Eve (Woman). God knows that we cannot live a full life without Him first of all, and without help in some form at various stages of our lives. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 also shows us the importance of having helpers in our lives.
• Who is our Ultimate Helper? Of course, it is the Triune Godhead that is our ultimate helper in all things. The father, Son and Holy Spirit help us understand life through the Scriptures and by looking at those who came before us as examples.
26. He is my HOPE (Psalm 71:5) “For You have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.”
• What is Hope? This a great question for Christians. The word hope often times means a wish or a desire that something will or will not happen. There is not much of a degree of certainty though in this definition of hope. Christian hope, on the other hand, is the assurance of what will happen to us as believers, after our years here on earth.
• Why do Christians need Hope? In this life, there are hardships, disappointments and at times disillusionments. The world around us offers no permanent respite from these. Christians have been given such a respite, especially for our next life. Christians will still fall prey to worldly hardships and disappointments but these are ‘momentary and light’ compared to the weight of Glory (of God) awaiting us – with 100% assurance [2 Corinthians 4:17-18].
• Who is our only Hope? Psalm 71:5 says the Lord is. Jesus is our Lord and Saviour and our only hope in Glory. Amen
27. He is the LORD WHO HEALS (Exodus 15:26) “… for I am the Lord Who heals you.”
(See #1 above)
• Nothing has changed in His healing ability from the time of Moses (above) until the time of Christ, from today and into the future. Jesus is our Great Physician.
28. He is my WONDERFUL COUNSELOR (Isaiah 9:6) “For unto us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
• What is a Counsellor? A counsellor is a person who, through training and study, can help bring positive meaning to life situations. There are professional psychoanalysis-type counsellors and professional Christian counselors and lay Biblical counsellors.
• Why do we need Counsellors? There are many times in life when pressures, both internally and externally, cause us to mis-interpret or not fully understand life’s circumstances. Other humans can counsel other humans to varying degrees of success in many area of life. Even modern medicines can help alleviate the effects of trauma and other events but the Bible says that there is a Wonderful Counsellor available to all believers. He is able and willing to come alongside us and heal our hurts, hang ups and habits.
• Who is this Wonderful Counsellor? It goes without saying that Jesus Christ is our ultimate healer and counsellor, friend and Saviour. When we come under His counsel, we will always see the correct meaning of life.
29. He is the GOD OF COMFORT (Romans 15:5) “May the God Who gives endurance and encouragement (comfort) give you the same attitude of mind towards each other that Christ Jesus had.”
(2 Corinthians 1:3-7) “Praise be to God, the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Father of all compassion and the God of all comfort…”
• What is Comfort? There are many facets to comfort which can be described as lack of pain, anxiety and stress. Comfort in Biblical terms means knowing and living in the rest or peace (shalom) of God and it being evident in all of life’s circumstances so that the one who is comforted by God, can go and comfort others.
• Why do we need Comfort? Living in a state of constant anxiety, stress and discomfort affects all parts of human existence. It affects our body, which may be in constant pain, it affects our mind, which can be in constant turmoil, and it affects our very soul which can be in a state of flux and uncertainty about such things as our ultimate future. These discomforts negatively affect our relationship with God and with others around us. We need comfort in order to best live out God’s purposes for us to comfort others in their distresses.
• Who is our Comforter? Jesus Christ is our ultimate source of comfort. Physical pain may not be fully gone nor emotional pain be fully alleviated, but through Christ, we are able to stand (endure) and be a blessing (encouragement) to others through Christ.
(c) 2024 by Your Biblical Counselor
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