What are some Bible verses about God?
The Bible has a tremendous amount to say about God, who He is, and what He is like. Here is an overview of some of the key Bible verses that describe God:
God’s Nature and Character
The Bible describes God as eternal (Psalm 90:2), all-knowing (Psalm 139:1-6), all-powerful (Jeremiah 32:17), good (Psalm 119:68), just (Deuteronomy 32:4), merciful (Exodus 34:6-7), loving (1 John 4:8), and righteous (Psalm 119:137). He is perfect in all His attributes (Matthew 5:48).
Some specific attributes of God include:
- Holiness – “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty” (Revelation 4:8)
- Wisdom – “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” (Romans 11:33)
- Grace – “The grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people” (Titus 2:11)
- Sovereignty – “The Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will” (Daniel 4:17)
God’s Relationship with Humanity
The Bible teaches that God is Creator of the heavens, the earth, and humanity (Genesis 1:1, 27). He cares for His creation, continues to be involved in the world (Psalm 139:7-10), and wants us to know Him (Jeremiah 9:24). God offers salvation and eternal life to those who repent and believe in Jesus Christ (John 3:16), and adopts believers as His children (Romans 8:14-17). He is patient, not wanting anyone to perish but all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
Some verses that describe God’s relationship with humanity include:
- Purpose – “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
- Guidance – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
- Discipline – “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” (Hebrews 12:6)
- Provision – “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
The Trinity
The Bible teaches that there is one God who eternally exists in three persons – God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All three are equally God, unified in substance and coequal in power and glory (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
Verses on the Trinity include:
- Father – “There is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist…” (1 Corinthians 8:6)
- Son – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)
- Holy Spirit – “But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit…You have not lied to man but to God.'” (Acts 5:3-4)
God’s Presence and Activity
In addition to creating the world, God continues to sustain and govern His creation (Colossians 1:17). He is active in overseeing history according to His sovereign plan (Ephesians 1:11). God also works on a personal level, interacting with individual people.
Verses about God’s presence and activity include:
- In worship – “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” (John 4:23)
- In prayer – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)
- In everyday life – “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)
- In evangelism – “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (John 20:21)
God’s Faithfulness and Promises
The Bible emphasizes that God keeps His promises and is faithful even when we are faithless (2 Timothy 2:13). He promises to be with His people always (Deuteronomy 31:6), to work everything together for our good (Romans 8:28), and to complete the work He has started in our lives (Philippians 1:6).
Verses about God’s faithfulness include:
- Lamentations 3:22-23 – “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
- 1 Corinthians 1:9 – “God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:24 – “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”
- Numbers 23:19 – “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”
Praising and Glorifying God
An important theme in Scripture is praising God for who He is and giving Him glory. Psalms, in particular, contain many passages focused on praising God (Psalm 150). We are exhorted to continually offer God glory, honor, praise and thanksgiving for His greatness.
Some key verses about praising and glorifying God include:
- Psalm 100:4-5 – “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
- Psalm 145:3 – “Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.”
- Psalm 150:6 – “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:28-29 – “Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name.”
God’s Judgment and Wrath
While God is loving and merciful, the Bible also warns of His impending judgment on sin. His wrath will come upon those who persist in evil and reject Christ (John 3:36). But God takes no pleasure in judgment, and has provided salvation to rescue people from condemnation (Ezekiel 18:23; 2 Peter 3:9).
Verses about God’s judgment include:
- Hebrews 10:30-31 – “For we know him who said, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ and again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
- 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 – “He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”
- Revelation 20:11-15 – Passage describing final judgment before God’s throne.
Following and Obeying God
We are called to follow God’s commands and moral standards for our lives. Our obedience should come from love and awe of God (Deuteronomy 10:12-13; John 14:15). It demonstrates our faith and trust in God.
Verses about obeying God include:
- Micah 6:8 – “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
- James 1:22 – “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
- 1 John 5:3 – “In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.”
- 1 Peter 1:14-16 – “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.'”
Trusting in God
Because of who God is, we can completely rely on and trust in Him even in difficult circumstances. He is always faithful and will give us strength and peace when we fix our eyes on Him.
Verses about trusting God include:
- Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
- Isaiah 26:4 – “Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal.”
- Psalm 56:3-4 – “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid.”
Seeking and Finding God
God desires that all people would seek after Him and find Him when they do. He promises that those who earnestly seek Him will be able to find Him.
Verses about seeking and finding God include:
- Jeremiah 29:13 – “‘You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.'”
- Deuteronomy 4:29 – “But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
- Psalm 119:2 – “Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.”
God’s Care and Comfort
God cares deeply for His people and promises to be our comforter in times of need. He hears our cries and collects our tears (Psalm 56:8).
Verses about God’s care and comfort include:
- Nahum 1:7 – “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.”
- 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 – “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
- Psalm 23:4 – “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
God’s Majesty and Greatness
From beginning to end, the Bible proclaims God’s greatness and supremacy. He is exalted above the nations, all creation, and any false god. His majesty surpasses everything.
Some verses praising God’s greatness include:
- Psalm 47:2 – “For the LORD Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth.”
- Psalm 95:3 – “For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.”
- Psalm 135:5 – “I know that the LORD is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods.”
- Exodus 15:11 – “Who among the gods is like you, LORD? Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?”
The Fear of the Lord
Scripture encourages us to have awe, respect and adoration for who God is. The fear of the Lord leads to wise living and obedience to His commands.
Verses about fearing God include:
- Proverbs 1:7 – “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
- Psalm 33:8 – “Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him.”
- Proverbs 9:10 – “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
God’s Immanence and Transcendence
God is infinitely greater than us, yet is intimately involved in creation. This paradox of His “otherness” and nearness is seen throughout Scripture.
Verses reflecting both concepts include:
- Isaiah 55:9 – “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Transcendence)
- Psalm 139:7-10 – “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” (Immanence)
Conclusion
This overview covers many of the essential truths the Bible teaches about God. He has revealed His glory, character and plan for humanity through His Word. As we study the Scriptures, we come to know Him more intimately and live in greater awe of who He is.