I believe in God, the Father almighty,

Creator of heaven and earth.

Apostles Creed

I love the early Apostles’ Creed. It gives you the foundation of Christianity. But if I were to boil Faith down to the very basics, I would argue that the creed falls a little short. I mean, it’s a good start, but what about describing who God is? The character and nature of God- his ontology. The character of God is vital when life falls apart. It gives you a focal point to steer toward.

We can start with the most quoted verse in the scriptures, Exodus 34:6 and 7. God actually says what qualities are most important to Him. He describes Himself to Moses like this:

Yahweh, Yahweh, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of their parents to the third and fourth generation

[A quick sidetrack on the last part of the verse, which sounds like it went off the rails a little. First, if you are a victim of atrocities, you are glad that God does not leave the guilty unpunished. Second, the original text does not have the word ‘generations’ in it. That word was added to help it make sense to the English speaking world. The term “to the third and fourth” was a Jewish idiom meaning “for as long as it takes.” So if an entire culture has gone in a wrong direction, God will pursue them for as long as it takes to redirect them and reconcile them to himself and each other.]

Now, back to Exodus 34. God’s first descriptor of himself is compassionate. In Hebrew, the word is rakhoom, which has the same root word as a mother with a child in her womb. Let that sink in. God is like a mother with a child in her womb. That is more than just compassionate, that is fiercely protective, fully loving, completely devoted, and unwaveringly tender. That is the type of compassion that is always on your side, always trying to do what is best for you, never giving up on you, and ready to lay down their life for you… The God of the universe is more than just a caring God, He is a carrying God. He wombs you.

On top of that, he says he is gracious, slow to anger, full of loyal love, faithful, and forgiving.

Citing facts about God is religion (which is not a bad thing), but knowing the character of God (and resting in that knowledge no matter what) is about relationship. When I realize that the Father-God is more intimate and loving than I understood him to be, it changes everything. He is the Father Almighty. He is the Creator of heaven and earth. But he fiercely loves you personally.