Do you think there really is a God?  Where is He when you have a bad time? A bad day? A bad life?
There are lots of ideas on what God is like. Some see Him as a sweet old grandfather or a divine Santa Claus. Others see Him as a vengeful, angry dictator. Many people fear God because they have a distorted understanding of His character. God not only wants you to view Him correctly; He wants you to know Him personally.

You may not have ever thought about it before, but your view of God impacts every aspect of who you are. Everything about your life—your desires, motives, attitudes, words, and actions—is influenced by how you view God. Your self-image will improve once you understand the awesome greatness of God and the value He places on you.

God is completely trustworthy. God has unlimited abilities, so nothing is too difficult for Him. But, just like in any other relationship, you can trust Him only to the degree that you know Him.

God is morally perfect in every way, so He will always do the right thing. He is holy, absolutely truthful, righteous, and just. He will never betray your confidence. And God is totally committed to His relationship with you; He never breaks a promise, and He will always do what is best for you. He's not just some ghost that can't touch this world, or an old man who just watches us struggle from Heaven with heartless half-interest. He's powerful, He's capable, and He cares deeply about what bothers you.

We said before that God wants us to know Him correctly and personally, but that can be very difficult when He's a spiritual being. People find it hard to relate to stuff they can't see, hear, or touch. How are we supposed to know what God wants, what He's like, and how to get close to Him? It's a great question, and it’s one that God answered for us. To give us a living, breathing example of Himself, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ.

From the very start of His ministry, Jesus identified Himself as far more than a just some remarkable teacher or prophet. Jesus clearly said He was God. He even made His identity the focal point of His teaching; the most important question Jesus asked of those who followed Him was, "Who do you say I am?" It’s a life altering question, and it's one the Bible answers clearly. Jesus was "one with the Father," and so to know Him was to know God (John 8:19; 14:7).

But Jesus wasn't just an earthly example of a spiritual God. His death on the Cross meant that we can know God in a personal way—as a Father, not just a Lord or a King. Check out the "Accept God's Gift" page to hear about the amazing things God has done so you could know Him.

Are you in the midst of a tough time? Are you facing stuff that seems too hard to deal with? Don’t give up, God is with you, and He wants to help you.