An attribute of God: faithfulness, holiness, presence… finding a verse and worshiping

An attribute is a characteristic of God: his faithfulness, his goodness, his holiness, his power, his presence. They are not abstractions: each is a way of saying who he is. This quest invites you to choose an attribute, to look for a verse that expresses it, then to worship God for it.

What it looks like in your day

1. Choose an attribute. Here are a few words to explore: faithfulness (he keeps his word), holiness (he is pure, set apart), omnipresence (he is everywhere), omniscience (he knows everything), goodness (he gives), justice (he renders to each), eternity (he doesn't change).

2. Look for a verse. Use the app's Bible search, with the keyword (faithfulness, holy, presence). Read three or four results, keep the one that speaks to you.

3. Understand what the verse says. Who is speaking? In what context? What does it show of God?

4. Worship. Say the verse back to God. “Lord, you are faithful. Your faithfulness is unto all generations.” Stay a few moments in that sentence.

5. Apply. What difference does it make to me that God is faithful (or holy, or present)? Where do I need this trait today?

Here are four examples of verses already spotted:

• Faithfulness: “Thy faithfulness is unto all generations” (Psalm 119:90).
• Holiness: “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:3).
• Presence: “Whither shall I go from thy spirit?” (Psalm 139:7).
• Knowledge: “O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me” (Psalm 139:1).

If you are short on time, one attribute, one verse, one sentence. If you are shy, this is a very inward exercise.

What the Bible says

Psalm 139 is a hymn to omniscience and omnipresence:

“To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.”

God knows our gestures, our thoughts, our words before they are spoken. It is not a threatening gaze, but a gaze that knows and loves. The same psalm continues:

“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.”

“Whither shall I go from thy spirit?”: nowhere, and that is a consolation. Even at the uttermost parts of the sea, his hand leads us. And Psalm 119 recalls his faithfulness:

“Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.”

The earth abides: an image of God's faithfulness. Each attribute is like a facet of one and the same face.

Pitfalls to avoid

Limiting yourself to the “pleasant” attributes. God is also holy, just, jealous for his people. These traits don't contradict his love: they specify it.

Taking an attribute for an idea. An attribute is not a concept: it is a way of saying who God is. Let it become worship.

Projecting your images. If your father was severe, “holy” may sound harsh. Let the text correct your picture.

Forgetting Jesus. For Christians, God's attributes are seen in Jesus: his faithfulness, his holiness, his closeness.

Looking for quantity. One attribute explored in depth is worth more than ten skimmed.

Today, choose an attribute. Look for a verse, read it, and worship God for it.