In your relationship with God, is He more your "Maker" or your "Father"? Your "Master" or your "Friend"? This story illustrates what we mean: A victorious emperor returned from war. At the victory parade soldiers were hardly able to hold back the jubilant masses. The emperor approached the royal stand where his wife, the empress, would welcome him. Suddenly a small boy ran out of the crowd toward the emperor. A brawny soldier scooped up the boy, saying, "You can't go out there. Don't you realize that is the king himself!" Struggling loose, the boy replied, "He may be your king, but he is my father!" No special prophet is needed to reveal that God is great. To anyone willing to listen, all creation shouts that God is Maker and Master (Psalm 8; 19; Romans 1). God did use His prophets especially to reveal that He is Father and Friend. Through Moses God revealed Himself as: The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness (Exodus 34:6). Jesus Christ taught us to pray, "Our Father" (Matthew 6:9). Through Him God revealed the full extent of the truth: "God is love." (1 John 4:8) Some say that God cannot forgive, cannot forget, cannot welcome you. He hates sin and despises sinners. They even seek support from important elements of truth. He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. (Deuteronomy 32:4) Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. (Habakkuk 1:13)

These great, unchanging truths seem to trap God into perpetual anger at us. True humility before God, however, admits that He cannot be trapped. He can even overcome the problem of our sinfulness! Disciples once asked Jesus, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God" (Mark 10:26-27). Who doubts that God's just judgment must find us guilty? "For no one living is righteous before You" (Psalm 143:2). Sin's chains bind all of us. Yet the Judge Himself is free; He can do as He wishes. Who will stop the Judge if He decides to come down and take the convict's place? God did that very thing-that impossible thing-for us. As God the Son (also called the Word), He "became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14)