God Really Is the Rock: Rejoicing in 6 Attributes of the Living God

It is easy to forget where our strength comes from—or even that we have a refuge to run to. The wickedness of the world is overwhelming. Our struggles, broken situations, and failures threaten to sink us into doubt and despair. On the other hand, in good times, self-sufficiency can surface in our hearts so that we ask, "Who is the Lord?" (Proverbs 30:9). In trials and in victories, it is imperative that we look up and, in awe and wonder, consider who is the living God.

When God says He is holy, He means He is different. God’s holy difference is one of His highest attributes. As Isaiah 40:25 declares, "’To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?’ says the Holy One." God is infinite, eternal, transcendent—wholly other. And when we encounter the holy, great I am, we are undone, acutely aware of our unworthiness. It is this recognition of our own impurity that leads us to our Savior; only He can make us holy! He is our strength in weakness; He is our righteousness, our fortress, and our great reward, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith (see 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Hebrews 12:2).

The one true God is the beginning and the end—the same yesterday, today, and forever (see Revelation 1:8; Hebrews 13:8). This perfection is surely a great comfort to us because it means God’s love is unchanging. He is not erratic or unstable but eternally unchangeable in all His attributes (see Malachi 3:6; James 1:16-17). He is always perfectly wise, just, merciful, gracious, and loving. He is faithful to His purposes—faithful to His plan of salvation (see Numbers 23:19; Isaiah 25:1).

David articulated these next three glorious attributes of God in Psalm 139. God knows all things—past, present, and future. We often associate God’s omniscience with His knowledge of the big, eternal picture, yet He also knows the very deepest corners of our hearts. Our Creator knows us inside and out—better than we know ourselves (see Psalm 139:1-4).

God is everywhere. There is nowhere we can go where God is not already present—physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually (see Psalm 139:7-10). Even during our darkest days, we know that God is right there with us in the midst of our situation.

God is omnipotent, able to create life itself (see Psalm 139:13-14). How amazing is our God who designed everything from the tiniest cell in our bodies to the grandest star in the universe! He sustains us with His power, holding all things together, that we might "live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). He upholds our faith, and none can be snatched from His hand (see Ephesians 2:1-10; John 10:28-30).

There are so many more aspects of God’s majesty to dig into and delight in. Indeed, God’s greatness can leave us speechless. Nevertheless, through praise, we affirm His lordship over our lives and anchor our hearts in our Redeemer. We echo the psalmist, saying, "May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer" (Psalm 19:14).