Understanding the Personality of God

The person of the Triune God

Photo by Porapak Apichodilok: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-holding-white-printer-paper-beside-leaf-plant-388898/

Every human has a personality, and God — in whose image man was created — also has a personality. Developing intimacy with God requires understanding His personality. The quest to understand God’s personality cannot be fulfilled completely because the depths of God’s riches are unsearchable. However, it is necessary to embark on the quest so that, somehow, a better understanding of the Supreme Being can be attained.

A good way to begin the quest to understand God’s person is to examine His relationship with humans throughout history. Since God does not change, one can safely assume that the insights gained from His interactions with historical figures will accurately define who He is today.

The personality of God

God craves people who please Him. Whenever people aspire to please God, He develops a close bond with them. This may explain the translation of Enoch to heaven without passing through the portal of death. Enoch pleased God so much, that he was drawn to heaven. God’s nature is to desire people who please Him.

What does it take to please God? No one has ever seen God, but pleasing God starts from believing that there is God — that is faith. The evidence of faith in God is obedience to His commands. Sometimes, this expected obedience may defy logic. When God commanded Noah to build the Ark, it was likely that rain had NEVER fallen from heaven (see Genesis 2:6). Noah spent several decades building the Ark. That was several decades of enduring ridicule from people who thought he was mad, several decades of being the butt of jokes. Noah held on to his faith and obeyed God by building the ark! That is how to please God.

And without faith living within us, it would be impossible to please God. For we come to God in faith knowing that he is real and that he rewards the faith of those who passionately seek him. (Hebrews 11:6, TPT)

God is a covenant keeper. When God makes a covenant, He ensures He fulfills His obligations. Even when other parties are shaky about their commitment, God’s nature is to keep covenants. That is what has kept the nation of Israel throughout history. A good understanding of God’s nature to keep covenants can be exploited during prayers. Remind God of His promises, and His covenant, and on that basis ask for what you want. God always keeps His Word.

God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? (Numbers 23:19, NLT)

God is gracious. His nature is goodness, God is good. During an interaction with Moses, God described Himself as merciful, gracious, and overflowing with goodness. You can be sure that God is always thinking good thoughts towards you. He won’t backbite you or run you down nor will He give up on you. Some people call natural disasters an act of God. Many times, that is not true because the thoughts of God towards His people are not evil. God does not delight in using evil acts to teach lessons. He is a gracious God.

And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6–7, NKJV)