Hope y'all don't mind, but, I have just got to talk about 'The God I've been looking for.' (Found him, BTW.)
"(Only one other time did I say to myself, 'There's the God I've been looking for,' and that was when I read the Book of Jonah, but that subject can be tabled for a later discussion.)" I spoke those words Saturday.
In order to have a good relationship with anyone, conversation is a must. No less so when trying to develop a relationship with the Creator of the Universe. So... how do we communicate with the Creator? Prayer. How does the Creator communicate with us? You guessed it, The Bible. Yet, back in 2006-07, Jehovah was doing all the talking to me through the pages of the Bible, and I was not quite fully conversing with him via prayer.
Wanting to learn, yet still having erroneous beliefs from my previous religious background, I was still having a hard time finding that 'God of Love' that my dad always talked about yet threatened bad behavior with 'Hell Fire forever.' During my study with Jehovah's Witnesses, through the pages of the Bible, I had already learned that there wasn't a 'Hell' where people are tormented, cuz for one, nowhere in the Genesis creation account is it mentioned, and two, Jehovah God is just, so why torment people FOREVER? Just not loving.
Daily Bible reading is recommended. Not just reading, though. Ponder, meditate. So it came about during my Bible reading that I was reading the book of Jonah. Just 4 chapters long. But powerful chapters. Not just because, oh that's Jonah, he was swallowed by a big fish, (heard that story many times in Bible School growing up, but a whale was depicted, whereas the Bible doesn't say whale, but, that's not the point,) but it was what happened at the end of the story, (which, btw, I don't ever remember being taught,) that touched my heart and made me say, "There's the God I've been looking for."
Walk with me to the end of the story please... The Book of Jonah, Chapter 3, Jehovah tells Jonah to go to the city of Nin′e·veh and warn the people of their upcoming destruction due to their wickedness. Jonah finally goes. Jonah warns the men of Nin′e·veh, the men of Nin′e·veh turn back from their wickedness, and here's the kicker, here's what touched my heart and made me say, "There's the God I've been looking for," Jonah, Chapter 3, verse 10.
So prior to this, with a chip on my shoulder, wanting to find that God of love, Chapter 3 helped me find the God of love, because prior to this read, my thinking was: "Why are the Israelites so special? Doesn't God love anyone BUT the Israelites?" and then I realized that Jehovah God is a God of Love to ALL people, all they need to is turn back from their wickedness, just like the men of Nin -′e·veh did.
Also:
What Sort of person is God?
What is the Truth about God?
Both excellent reads. They helped me to really, Really, REALLY get to know Jehovah God better. :-)
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