"Ness"

"Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great."  Psalm 18:35

Adding the suffix "ness" to the end of an adjective converts it to an abstract noun.  By doing so it now means the "state or quality" of that adjective.  Have you noticed how many words we use in reference to the Lord that end in "ness"?  I was thinking about that this morning. 

We know that God is kind, but He shows kindness to humanity.  He is faithful, therefore, we can trust in His faithfulness to do what He says He will do.  He is great.  We can see His greatness displayed in all of creation.  He is good, His goodness is seen in His dealings with mankind.  He is a merciful, forgiving God who bestows forgiveness on those who humble themselves in repentance before Him.  He is gentle.  We see His gentleness in His treatment of us.  He is not harsh with us.  He is the King of kings and Lord of lords, so we call Him "Your Highness".

These words all describe who this Wonderful, Mighty God is, but when we use the suffix "ness" with it, it shows us that this is more than just who He is, but how He deals with us.  God deals with us according to His nature and character.  I for one and so thankful that He deals with me this way.  If you are feeling condemned, if you are feeling unloved, if you are feeling like God hates you and is out to get you, then you are not being dealt with by Him.  It is either your own flesh or the devil who is dealing with you.  "Ness" lets us know that.

Have a great day.  God deals with us according to His character.  The suffix "ness" added to His character describes the way God deals with us. 

For further reading:
Psalm 92:2; 117:2
2 Samuel 22:36

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

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