October 16 Read Psalm 18:25-36

Who is God? “God is God” were the first words spoken by Rev. H. H. Hoeksema during the first Reformed Witness Hour broadcast. To know God is to know his attributes. As the people of God, we must know who he is. Our goal in this next series of devotionals will be to know God by learning about his attributes. By knowing God we can serve him and glorify him. Let us remember and confess that God is God and there is none like him. Sing Psalter 316.

October 17 Read Psalm 69:16-30

In yesterday’s Psalter number we sang about a few of God’s attributes. We will look at God’s lovingkindness today. We read in this Messianic prophecy of his lovingkindness towards his own Son. It is the same lovingkindness that he provides for us. No matter what the circumstances, he is always with us. He is loving because he is our Father. He is kind because we are his children. With his arms he holds us and keeps us in his care. Sing Psalter 187.

October 18 Read Isaiah 49:14-21

God is faithful. Of that we have no reason to doubt. He will care for us at all times. We never have to doubt our salvation. In his faithfulness he watches over us. He is faithful even when we are unfaithful. In this world, fathers and mothers leave even very young children. But as we read in today‘s text, God will never leave us. We can be assured that he will faithfully see us through this life into glorious eternity. Sing Psalter 72.

October 19 Read III John

God is truth. Because truth is his, we know most assuredly that our salvation is sure. There is no truth in the world apart from God. We know that even our best words are lies because they are polluted with sin. But with God it is not so. By faith we can know that he is truth and speaks the truth at all times. When our children walk in that truth, we have the greatest joy possible in this life. Is that your desire, young people, to walk in God’s truth? Sing Psalter 68.

October 20 Read Ephesians 1:4-12

God is gracious. What a beautiful truth! We, who see sin all around us and in us, can be comforted that God is gracious. What is grace? Grace is God’s unmerited favor towards those he has chosen in Christ. Notice, it is unmerited. Nothing that we can do can save us. There is nothing that we must or can do. That alone is comforting because we know who we are. It is favor. God loves us. In that love he has favored us with salvation. This grace is only towards the elect. As God’s people we can begin and end each day in the confidence that God is gracious towards us. I know that the elderly understand this attribute well. May our young people and children learn to grow in the grace of God. Sing Psalter 164.

October 21 Read Revelation 4

One truth of God that is denied in the world today is his sovereignty. Few want God to be in control of every aspect of their lives. Man wants to be in control, and if God is sovereign, man has no control. Those who believe in evolution deny God’s sovereignty. Those who deny certain parts of Scripture want nothing to do with God’s sovereignty. When we acknowledge the power of God, we truly understand who God is. When we honestly look at our lives, we will confess that only by God’s sovereignty all things work for our good. Deny God’s sovereignty and you will have nothing on to which to hold. Sing Psalter 266.

October 22 Read Lamentations 3:18-26

Our God is merciful. What a blessed truth! He is merciful in that by his grace we are not destroyed on account of our sins. He is merciful in that he cares for us in this world of sin. Mercy is a beautiful attribute because we become aware of it each and every day as the prophet said in today’s reading. God’s mercy is everlasting. It never wears out or runs out. Men can be merciful to a creature or to each other, but a change in mood can do away with that mercy. This is not so with God. God is always merciful, and that mercy is always sufficient. People of God, meditate on that mercy each and every day and then give thanks to our merciful God. Sing Psalter 281.

October 23 Read John 17:1-8

At the beginning of this set of devotionals we spoke of knowing God. Well, we cannot know God if God is not knowable. There are subjects in this world that are mysteries to some of us. Some of us cannot fathom nuclear physics or quantum mechanics, or even auto mechanics. We are unable to know them. But one of God’s attributes is that we can know him. By his Word and creation we can know our heavenly Father. This knowledge is not just head knowledge. It is the comforting knowledge of a God who loves us. He reveals himself to his people in a special way. Through Christ we can gain a knowledge that comforts us in whatever station of life that we find ourselves. Through our knowledge of God we can rest assured that he is our God and we are his people. Sing Psalter 64.

October 24 Read John 4:21-26

One of God’s attributes is that he is spiritual. Now this is not an easy concept to understand. Maybe the easiest way to begin to understand this idea is to know that God is neither earthly nor created. By understanding these ideas, we can dismiss many of the misconceptions of God that are in the world today. Because God is spiritual, he is invisible, indivisible, and independent. These are just a few of the aspects of God who is spiritual. Because God is spiritual, we can rely on him trusting that he has no earthly or creaturely failings that characterize us. This also tells us how we must worship him. As Christ said we must worship him “in spirit and in truth”. God is not a God to be worshiped in any other way than he has appointed in his Word. Let us worship him who is spirit in this way and in this way only. Sing Psalter 204.

October 25 Read Romans 11:30-36

Two days ago we spoke of God’s knowability. Today we will look at his knowledge. There are two types of knowledge that God has. First of all there is that knowledge which he has toward his creation. Because of this knowledge nothing can hide from God. His eyes are upon all aspects of his creation. His knowledge compasses all things. This is not the knowledge that man has. Man’s knowledge is flawed. Man’s knowledge about creation is limited. God’s knowledge is perfect and unlimited. The second part of that knowledge is God’s knowledge of love towards his people. This, too, is a special knowledge. It is specific towards those whom he has chosen in Christ. It is love for them by which he sent his Son to die on the cross. God’s knowledge is wonderful surpassing any knowledge that man can have. Let us be thankful that he knows us and cares for us. Sing Psalter 325.

October 26 Read Psalm 145:14-21

God is righteous. Because God is righteous, we have great comfort. His righteousness means that he will not change. There is no error in him. He is holy, and in that holiness what he says and proclaims will surely come to pass. In God’s righteousness he gives to his people salvation, which will surely come to pass. In doing this he imputes to us wretched sinners righteousness. Because of this we can be assured that our salvation is sure; that he will take us to everlasting glory. God’s righteousness brings to us comfort at the grave of a loved saint. We mourn their leaving us, but we do not have to mourn their next state. God is righteous; he takes his loved ones to him. Because God is righteous, we must be thankful to him for our salvation. Let us do this as we sing and turn to him in prayer. Sing Psalter 192:1, 2, 5 & 6.

October 27 Read Numbers 14:13-19

Our God is a longsuffering God. He is longsuffering towards his people who are sinners. In his longsuffering he sees us as we sorrow. This could be the sorrow over sin either in ourselves or in someone we love. Because God is longsuffering he helps us come to him in our sad condition. He helps us find the way to walk in the right path or help someone to walk on that path. He also is longsuffering towards his people as they suffer through pain or even death. In his longsuffering he is merciful and helps us to find grace in time of need. He will wipe away our tears when no one else can. We wait for Christ’s return. Has God forgotten us? No, in his longsuffering towards his people, he cares for us each and every day until Christ does return. Be comforted in these things, beloved people of God. Sing Psalter 191:1, 2 & 4.

October 28 Read Psalm 90:1-9

“From everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.“ What comforting words are these to God’s people. God is eternal. Because he is eternal we know that he will always be just as he has always been. Because he is eternal, he is unchangeable. In contrast to man who is like grass, God never will pass away. Because he will never pass away none of his attributes will pass away. We can always be assured of his mercy, love, grace, truth, and so forth. Especially we can be sure of our salvation. Young people, you have not lived long on this earth. Talk to your grandparents. They will tell you of the comfort derived from the fact that God is the eternal unchangeable one. Sing 247.

October 29 Read I John 4:7-16

One of God’s most amazing but most misunderstood attributes is his love. It is amazing because God loves those who of themselves cannot love him. He loves those who of themselves do not want to love him. In fact he loves those who quite often hate him. It is misunderstood primarily because many wish to believe that God loves all men. Nothing can be farther from the truth. God’s love, like his grace, is particular. It is particular to those whom he has chosen. Because God loves us, we must love others. This is one of his communicable attributes. We cannot love like God, but we must love out of thankfulness for his love towards us. Do this today, people of God of all ages. Let us love God and also love our neighbors as ourselves. Sing Psalter 79.

October 30 Read Isaiah 6:1-7

Our God is a holy God. His holiness stands opposed to this unholy world. He is spotlessly clean in all his ways. There is no spot of wrongdoing to be found in God. We cannot or may not question God because he is holy. Because he is holy, all that is connected to him must be holy. His word is holy and therefore must be believed. His worship must be holy. And most importantly his people must be holy. We are called to be holy. Of ourselves we cannot do this. By his grace we can. Young people, do you seek holy entertainment with your friends? Do you seek the holy things of God? God is holy, and we, his people, must too be holy. Sing Psalter 265.

October 31 Read Daniel 2:17-23; 28-30

God is all-wise. Wisdom is different than knowledge. Wisdom is that proper use of knowledge for some purpose. For God that purpose is the salvation of his people. God’s wisdom is high. It is past our understanding. It is alive, and in its life it brings us to glory. God’s wisdom brings his church to his appointed end. That is what we celebrate today. The great Reformation was ordained by a wise God for his glory. It was ordained to bring his church to glory. What comforting thoughts we can have today. Let us remember them when we celebrate Reformation Day. Finally, Christ is God’s wisdom. Our Savior was made wisdom for us in order that we could be saved. Sing Psalter 42.

November 1 Read James 1:16-25

Our God is unchangeable. A term we use for this attribute is immutable. This is a comforting thought to us. Because God is unchangeable, he will keep the covenant that he has established with us. Man breaks promises he makes. We see this in the ugly sin of divorce. God, however, will never divorce his people. No matter how unfaithful we are, God is immutable. He will keep us in that covenant that he and only he has established with us in Christ. Young people, you do not have to look to the future in fear. God will not change. Just as he has cared for your parents, grandparents, and even great grandparents, he will care for you. He will care for his church of which you are a member. He cared for the church of the Old Testament, of the New Testament, of the Reformation, of today, and of the future. Because he will not change, he will care for his church into eternity. Sing Psalter 275.

November 2 Read Job 42:1-6

God’s attributes are interconnected. We have become aware of that fact even as we have studied them. The attribute of God’s omnipotence is no different. God cannot be omnipotent without being sovereign. God cannot be omnipotent without being immutable. We could go on and on. Being omnipotent means that God is all-powerful. His power extends over all parts of creation. We see this during hurricane season, tornado season, and now as we in the Northern hemisphere are beginning to experience winter season. We see God’s power in the storms, but we do not have to fear. He has power over the storm. True, God’s people have been killed in storms. But that does not mean God lost his power, but rather God in his power used the storm to take his people to glory. God’s omnipotence gives to us the comfort that no other power can separate us from his love. Sing Psalter 241:1, 7-9.

November 3 Read John 5:25-31

We have alluded to God’s independency before. God is God means God is independent. He was not created. He was not “dreamed up” by someone. God was, and is, and is to come. In his independence he has no need of anyone or anything else. If you look at other gods in this world, you will see a lack of independency. Man does not want his god to be independent, for if his god is independent man must be dependent. People of God, our independent God is a source of great comfort for us. Because he is independent, he gave to us the independent Christ who redeemed us from our sins. No dependent being could do this. This is evident from the picture worship of the Old Testament church. The blood of countless sacrifices was only a picture. Christ is the sacrifice for the church. No dependent God could be that sacrifice. Thanks be to God! Sing Psalter 203.

November 4 Read Jeremiah 23:23-32

God is everywhere and is everywhere present. What an awesome idea this is! Take a look outside at night. When you see the myriads of stars you get a little idea of God’s omnipresence. We know that all creation is under his hand. With so many stars, we see that omnipresence. Now look at a seashore. Do you see the many sands of the many seas? Is not God omnipresent? Is not God’s church scattered through the length and breadth of this earth? Does not God care for each of his saints? Do we not see his omnipresence? We often are afraid because God is omnipresent. We should be comforted. No matter where we go, or what we do, God is there. Let us be assured by God’s omnipresence. Sing Psalter 384.

November 5 Read Deuteronomy 6:1-9

God is one. We have been looking at various attributes of God. We may be tempted to surmise that God is made up of parts. The idea of the trinity sometimes leads men to believe that there are three Gods. Scripture is adamant on the truth that God is one. In his oneness there is no division. There is no “civil war.” There is complete unity within God. Our God who is a spirit is one. Because he is one our salvation is sure. The love that he gives to his people is an unfeigned love because he is one. As the “Essentials book” puts it, because God is one there are no other gods. This gives us complete trust in the one holy God. Sing Psalter 352.

November 6 Read Zephaniah 3:5-13

Our God is a just God. Now this idea can bring terror to the hearts of God’s people. Because he is just, we should all be doomed to everlasting punishment. But because of Christ’s sacrifice God’s justice was satisfied and we are found innocent before the judgment seat of God. Because God is a just God he not only punishes the evildoer, but he rewards the good with good. Now we know that no one is good apart from the grace of God. That is true. Nonetheless, God rewards the good. That is a comforting part of his justice. Oh, yes, this cannot be disconnected from his mercy. The two go hand in hand together. That is the comfort that we have. Our just God is merciful in his justice. Sing Psalter 253:1, 7, 9, 12.

November 7 Read Jeremiah 9:12-14; 23-24

Do we think we know all about God now? Have we exhausted all knowledge about God and his attributes? Nothing can be farther from the truth! We are mere creatures. We struggle to learn a little about God, and we forget what we have learned. We try to understand, and we end up more confused than when we started. Should we just throw up our hands and say, “What’s the use? Who can know God?” That’s what Satan wants us to do. He wants us to quit studying. He wants us to quit meditating upon God’s Word. He wants you, children and young people, to quit memorizing God’s Word. No, God will help us. Because he is love, because he is merciful, because he is wise; he will help us know him and know him as the true God. Continue to study and to know him as the God that he is. Sing Psalter 333.