As I was reading Psalms 120 – 134, I noticed that God’s various virtues are revealed in them. The Hebrew word “Ma’ala” actually means “virtue”, as well as “ascent”, as I wrote in the previous blog entry.  I believe that when the writer of these Psalms started with the Hebrew words, “Shir HaMahalot”, he was also acknowledging the different virtues of our Lord.

I believe that in order for us to have the excitement and joy that David had when writing the Psalm, we need to know the One that we are worshiping in a deeply personal way.  Regardless of where you are in your walk with God right now, I want to encourage you to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might” Eph 6:10. The Lord knows where you are and what you need, He knows your weakness and strength, your ups and downs… your everything.

In this short blog entry I want to list some of God’s virtues for you to reflect upon so that you may strengthen your understanding of Him, and draw closer to Him.

God is Holy and Righteous. He knows where you are in your walk of life, He understands, yet He wants you to move forward, follow Him, and to aim to be like Him.

God is Wise and full of knowledge and understanding; He wants you to seek Him first and to bless you with the ability to know and understand the difference between good (i.e., obedience) and evil (i.e., disobedience). He also wants to give you the wisdom and understanding of the different challenges you are facing in your life.

God is The King and a sovereign Master. He wants you to honor Him as The King of your heart, and to know your place in relation to Him (see my last blog) while acknowledging His sovereignty.

God is full of Grace, Kindness, and Generosity; He wants you to know His grace, and to understand the fullness of His kindness and generosity as a loving father.

God is The Judge. He wants you to remember that He is the final Judge and it is to Him alone that we will give an account.

He is Strong and Mighty. He wants you to remember that regardless of the circumstances you may be in, He is right there with you, and He is greater than whatever you may be going through right now.

He is the Savior, Protector, and Defender. He wants you to lay down before Him whatever you are battling right now, and let Him defend and protect you. He gave His life for you to save you from eternal punishment; you are free from condemnation and guilt…please don’t forget this.

He is all-powerful. He wants you to remember that there is no power greater than He. He wants you to come under the wings of His protection.

He is the Creator of the World and everything in it.  Remember that He is the Creator, and that it is the Creator you choose to follow, honor, and worship.

These are just a handful of God’s virtues; it’s a good starting point for us to reflect upon, and to thank Him for His greatness and for the honor that you and I have to be His servants, children, and co-heirs in the Kingdom of God.

Shabbat Shalom,

Moran