I

Originally, God created a humanity,

but they were destroyed by flood after rebelling against Him.

In this period before destroying mankind,

God did a significant amount of reminding and exhorting work.

No matter how much pain and sorrow God’s heart was in,

He continued to vest His care, concern, and abundant mercy in humanity,

to vest His care, concern, and abundant mercy in humanity.

We see from this that God’s love for mankind is real

and not something He merely pays lip service to.

It is actual, tangible and appreciable,

not feigned, adulterated;

it’s not deceitful or pretentious.

II

God never uses any deception or creates false images,

never uses any deception or creates false images

to make people see that He is lovable.

He never uses false testimony, never uses false testimony

to let people see His loveliness, or to flaunt His loveliness and holiness.

Are these aspects of God’s disposition not worthy of man’s love?

Are they not worth worshiping and cherishing?

God never describes to humans why He does these things,

or why He cares so much for mankind.

Even when He is hurt, when His heart is in extreme pain,

when His heart is in extreme pain,

He never forgets His responsibility toward mankind or His concern for mankind;

all while He bears this hurt and pain alone in silence.

III

God continues to provide for mankind as He has always done.

Even though mankind often praises God or bears witness to Him,

none of this behavior is demanded by God.

This is because God never intends

for any of the good things He does for mankind

to be exchanged for gratitude or to be paid back.

On the other hand, those who can fear God and shun evil,

those who can listen to Him and are loyal to Him—

these are the people who will often receive God’s blessings,

and God will bestow such blessings without reservation.

Moreover, the blessings people receive from God

are often beyond their imagination,

and also beyond what their actions or the price they pay can bring in return.

from The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God’s Work, God’s Disposition, and God Himself I