God’s nature. How can we possible describe it? He is Holy Judge and Savior. He is Love and Disciplinarian. He is Teacher and Guide. God is layer upon layer, greater than we can imagine. Yet, we have the unbelievable privilege of talking to Him, walking with Him, and being taught by Him.

When I became a baby believer at the ripe old age of 16, I heard God refered to as the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (we call Him the Holy Spirit now.) I was bewildered – how could God be Father, Son, and ghost, all at the same time? How was one supposed to relate to a Holy Ghost, anyway?

He expresses all of His complexity in three names: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

God, the Father. I struggled with this name for many years. My earthly father was cold and cruel. I didn’t know he loved me – in fact, he told me I was a disappointment to him. If God was my father, could I risk being unloved again?

I was in my thirty’s before I could separate the pain of my earthly father from the joy and love of my Heavenly Father, before I could redefine the word “father.” Now, there is no relationship I cherish more.

When you’re in distress, imagine yourself curled up in His lap. When you’re terrified, cling to Him, and know you are safe. He sets us back on our feet when we stumble, and He disciplines us when we get too full of ourselves. He tells us how precious we are.

Almighty God is our Father: our steady rock, our fortress, our security. And He loves us.

God the Son. Jesus is God, walking among us. He stubbed His toe, experienced heartache, and had twelve rag-tag best friends. He felt sorrow when a loved one died, and joy when a baby was born. He laughed and He cried. He got angry and He felt tenderness. He knew the highest mountaintops and the deepest valleys.

He was like us– only infinitely better. He’s the one we talk to when we’ve lost our keys. We can confide in Him because He understands life in all of its ups and down. He walks beside us and shines the flashlight on our dark paths. He claps His hands when we succeed and gives us pep talks when we flop. We can share things with Him we wouldn’t dare say to anyone else. He is always there; our best Friend.

Jesus is the love of my life, and He loves me. He loves you. So much that He died for us so we can be His companions forever.

God, the Holy Spirit. This one was a real mystery to me. As I said, when I became a Christian, preachers called Him the Holy Ghost. If I understood it right, He came and lived inside me. Now, I worshipped God with my entire being and I loved Jesus with my whole heart, but I had to draw the line at having a ghost live inside of me. I don’t mean to be irreverent, but as a sixteen year old, that sounded kind of creepy.

Boy, was I wrong! I can’t survive without Him. He’s the whisper that warns us when we’re about to get ourselves in trouble. He’s our inner strength when we’re at the end of our ropes, and our sense of peace when everything around us goes crazy. I have a chronic memory problem, but He’s always at the ready to give me that snippet of Scripture I need at just the right moment. He is our minute-by-minute Teacher and helps us understand how to live for God. I hardly ever remember someone’s name, but He never forgets mine.

The Holy Spirit fills us to overflowing, even though we’re usually unaware. He never leaves us nor forsakes us.

There is no need God cannot meet; He is complete in his nature.

God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The perfect picture of salvation.

• As the Father, He is the giver of perfect gifts: He gave Himself to rescue us.
• As the Son, He is the perfect sacrifice: With His death, He offers us forgiveness.
• As the Holy Spirit, He is the perfect guide: He calls our names, inviting us to come to Him and to learn from Him, forever.

Watch for the blessings He brings to your life in the fullness of His names. How have you experienced Him as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?

If God were to introduce Himself to you, “My name is…,” what would He say? In my next post, I’ll explore His most powerful name.

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