Have you ever read a scripture or heard a message by a pastor and thought, “Wow! Great word!” It may even left you feeling really good inside and created a sense of hope. But before long, you began to think to yourself, 'that sounds great, but it isn't going to work for me'.

Or maybe you have found yourself in awe of what God has done for someone else, but you simply are having a hard time believing that it could happen to you.

If any of these scenario’s sound familiar, you are not alone! Many people, (including myself) have had thoughts like these come to us, but I have good news! There is hope to overcome these feelings of doubt that God has an amazing plan just for you!

I have had times in my life where I would try to ‘muster up’ faith to believe a scripture that I was standing on, and no matter how much I hoped that I could believe what the Word says…. I wasn’t able to until one thing was in place. This was the time in my life when the Lord showed me that I had to develop my faith in the Lord, and get to know Him & His character personally before I could have faith in His Word.

Now, when I say I had to get to “know Him”, I mean really KNOW him. You see, I had been raised in a Christian home, and grew up going to church. I knew all of the bible stories, and I gave my life to the Lord at a young age...However, it wasn’t until I had developed a personal walk with Him before I could have confidence that He had good plans for me personally, and I could trust Him to bring them to pass in my life.

I like to explain this ‘relationship’ in terms of my relationships with my family or friends. We all know that in order to develop trust in someone, that it takes time to get to know their character or what I like to call 'their heart'. The only way you can get do that on a deep and intimate level is by spending time with them.

Likewise, when it comes to developing a personal relationship with the Lord, your trust in Him will grow deeper as you get to know His characteristics. If you are just starting this walk with Him, (or looking to go deeper in your relationship), it is important to start from a place of knowing His heart! So let's talk about a few of His characteristics to start!

Here are some characteristics of the Lord:

He is no respecter of persons. –Acts 10:34

What He has done for one person, He will do for another.

He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. –Hebrews 13:8

The same Jesus you read about in the New Testament is the same healing, delivering, miracle-working God that He is today.

He is full of mercy! The LORD is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. –Psalm 145:8

“Mercy” means to withhold the judgment of what we deserve.

The Lord is abounding in grace. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” –Ephesians 2:8 (“Grace” means bestowing favors one does not deserve.)

He delights in giving us good things. “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” –Matthew 7:11

He is faithful. “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” –Hebrews 10:23

He is willing. His promises are “Yes” and “Amen”. -2 Corinthians 1:20. His Word holds no “maybes” or “hmm… that’s a new problem! Not sure what to do about your situation.” He has an answer for you and his will for you is good!

He will never leave you. He is with you ALL the time! -Deuteronomy 31:6

He has sent you a helper and a comforter- The Holy Spirit. “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” –John 16:7. He will never expect you to go through life’s journeys on your own. You have your very own helper and comforter to help guide you.

He is forgiving. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." -For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." –Hebrews 8:12

He IS love. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” -1 John 3:16

He is inviting and approachable. “Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” –Hebrews 4:16

He is able. “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” –Jeremiah 32:27

…I could keep going on and on… The list is ENDLESS! The great thing is, the Word of God teaches us all of these things & more... But what is truly awesome is when you learning these things on a heart level by watching Him show Himself faithful, loving, forgiving, etc. in your own life!

If you are desiring a deeper walk with the Lord that will produce a trust & faith in His Word, the best way to start is to get to really know Him for yourself. It is truly that simple~ the more we get to know His heart, the more we will learn to trust Him!

These are some of the truths I have found for myself over time and continue to learn more about every day! If you are looking to develop your faith in God’s Word, or are simply seeking a closer walk with Him then I challenge you to start today! It all began in my own life when I simply started seeking a close relationship with Him by spending time talking to Him (through prayer), and reading the Word (which will reveal His heart towards you)!!!

God is so good, and has awesome plans for you! The best part is, He promises that if you seek Him...You will find Him. (Jeremiah 29:13)... So why not start today!?!