Who is God to You?

 In this episode, Terri invites you to reflect on your personal definition of God. Your perception of God profoundly influences your understanding of how God views you. Do you see God as a punitive parent, an unresponsive figure, or someone irrelevant to your life? Terri explores the idea that God's intent has never been separation from us, but rather a continuous, unbroken relationship. Click here, Reflection Verses - Who You Are to God, to get the free download.

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Transcript

Welcome to Anchored Not Anxious. This is where you gain a deep belief your life matters to God and discover the anchoring practices to manage anxiety and worry. I'm Terri Hutchinson, your host. In this episode. I challenge each of us to set aside how we usually relate to and think of God. I offer you a unique view of who God is to you. To comprehend who God is to you, come with me to the garden of Eden. Genesis 2:15 describes the Lord placing Adam in the garden to work it and keep it. This was a garden designed by God. Nourishing every aspect of the two humans designed to live there. Abundant colorful beauty filled with fragrant aromas. Gentle breezes, caressing flowers, rustling leaves. A harvest of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Together, Adam and Eve, content and unburdened to be in God's presence without fear. Who wanted intimacy and friendship with Adam and Eve? God did. Like all relationships, it was tested. God said, "Do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil". The serpent countered with, "You will not surely die by eating the food. Rather your eyes will open and you will be, and know as God". These statements issued a challenge and a choice. Would Adam and Eve believe God was withholding the best from them Would the man and woman trust God's intentions for them.\ We know the answer. Adam and Eve acted on this statement uttered by another God created being rather than trusting God's request. They severed the relationship by choosing not to trust God. Irreparable damage, unable to be undone. Yet, despite their choice Adonia's love remained. God clothed Adam and Eve and instructed them on life forevermore. God evicted them from the garden paradise into a harsh world. A world we live in today. God's intent never included separation from him. It has been and always is relationship. Trust is the core issue here. Adam and Eve did not trust God's motives. I love to say I nothing like Adam and Eve. But I can't. What happened in the garden that day so long ago happens every day. Continually we face temptation to doubt God's goodness and his promises. Who isn't struggling to thrive in a brutal world where trusting anyone or anything is increasingly difficult. Relying on God's character is the starting point for trusting him on both the best and worst days. How do you perceive His character? That's the question. Who is God to you? Tragedy and sadness beckon us to doubt He is a holy loving caregiver. Perhaps your skeptical, like the Psalmist who wrote verse 8:3, “When you look at the night sky and see the work of God's fingers. The moon and the stars He set in place, what are mere mortals that He should think about us human beings, that God should care for us." I suspect you wonder why He's mindful of you. I do. The Psalmist who asks the question, answers it as well. "God made humans a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor." Zephaniah 3:17 says, “Adonai takes great delight in you. God rejoices over you with joyful song”. In John 14:27, Jesus says, "I'm leaving you with a gift. Peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid". Why does God rejoice over us? Take delight in us and care that we have peace of mind and heart? Because this is His character. This is His intent, love. We might think about it this way. Nothing created by God can give God what humans can. The stars and galaxies can't love God. The animals do not gather in his name to worship. Nature has no free will. It is humans created with the breath of God who can love the father, son, and spirit with our heart, mind and soul. In the Bible, God is known by many names describing his character and purpose in our life. One of my favorite names is Jehovah Raah, The Lord is my Shepherd. David once a shepherd himself experiences God as his Shepherd. A leader, guide, protector and caregiver. In Psalm 23, David paints, a picture of lush green meadows and quiet streams. A space to catch one's breath. Relax and dwell in peace. David is not afraid because the Shepherd is close by protecting and comforting. David's words portray his certainty and God's support, goodness and unfailing love. Psalm 23 illustrates a trust relationship between David and the Great Shepherd. And all in, no borders type of trust. Keeping David's trust relationship in mind, let's return to the garden of Eden. Adam and Eve. There in the presence of God, unafraid, protected, and receiving his provision and love. Both known and seen by a God communicating with them and personally concerned for their welfare. This garden scene is so similar to David's depiction. But for one aspect. David trusted God's intentions toward him whereas Adam and Eve did not. Adam and Eve rejected the peace of God's presence. In contrast, David found peace in God's presence. Adam and Eve disconnected from God out of pride whereas David humbly sought connection with God. The burning question is how do you trust the Lord like David? It starts by reflecting on how you define God. How you define or perceive God influences how you think God perceives or sees you. You can view God as a punitive parent, one who fails to answer prayers or as irrelevant to your life. Hard times and overwhelming stress tempt us to adopt these views of God. It's not wrong. Let's turn this around for a moment though. If I asked you what God thought of you, what would you say? Do you believe God sees you as a delight? Do you believe God sees you as the treasure in his eyes? The God who cares for you immensely. A God wanting a relationship. Or do you think God is disappointed, condemning or disinterested in you? First Samuel 16:7 says, "The Lord does not see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart". And in 2 Chronicles 16:9 it says, “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him". God's searches for and knows your heart. We are made for a relationship with God. As the physical body hungers and thirsts so does the soul. We try to feed a spiritually starved soul with activities, career goals, striving, noise. But these cannot satisfy. The soul is satisfied by union with God, a trust relationship with God. Even still the worry and anxiety can threaten and rock you. This is why we go deeper in our knowing God. Worry and anxiety is why I've anchored myself to him. Because of worry and anxiety, I have forged my anchor from trust in God's promises and embedded it in God, the Rock. In lonely moments, feeling insignificant, lost, battered by the world with anxiety trying to take me down, I tug on that anchor Why? To pull me back into His peace and to settle my mind. My trust relationship with God reminds me I am not lost, unseen, or abandoned. My life matters to him. Your life matters to him. Who is intimately known, heard, and seen by God? You are. On the podcast website, you'll find two reflection worksheets, Who is God to You and Who Are You to God. I developed these as well as a list of Reflection Verses for meditation. I challenge you to dive into discovering God in a new and relational way. Thank you for listening. Until next time.