The One Thing All Gods Agree On
There wasn't just one way to describe a god. Some places painted the divine as singular—sacred, supreme, flawless, the whole package. Others went the opposite route, filling the heavens with a whole crowd of very human gods who tripped over their own egos and made mistakes by the truckload. But if there was one single thread that ran through every last depiction, it was this.
Believe.
If you do not believe, divine punishment shall fall upon you.
In other words, it could just as easily be read as: believe, and the lightning bolt stays in the clouds. Simple insurance policy, really.