Knowing God through His Word — Part 2
More Reflections
Part two of Knowing God through His Word asks, “How does knowing the Bible bring seekers closer to God, even into union with Him?” Since God is Spirit and He relates to every one uniquely and personally, the answer isn’t easy. Fortunately, there are a few guidelines.
It’s tempting to trot out the scripture, “Without faith it is impossible to please God” and say that faith is a prerequisite to finding God on the pages of the Bible, but that’s not a true guideline. Men and women who have opened their Bibles in curiosity or begun in doubt and unbelief have met God in His word.
When the Bible’s author, the Holy Spirit, finds tender seeking hearts, open ears and willingness to do His will, His words seem to jump off the page with communicative life. He speaks His life, the life of God, into the hearts and minds of receptive readers. Without that dynamic, nothing much may happen.
Only God knows the heart issues dividing those who receive His word as truth and those who reject it as myth, literature, or history. But since God’s children actually do meet with God in the Scriptures, and actually do receive life there, and do become One with Jesus and the Father through His Word, it comes back to the question, “How do they do it?”
I can’t explain the mysterious power of the Holy Spirit. In John 3 Jesus described the Holy Spirit as wind, we can’t see where He comes or goes, but we feel His presence when He is moving. A prayerful, humble, honest, seeking and open spirit seems to invite and welcome the Holy Spirit.
As seekers receive God’s words and put them into practice, the Holy Spirit stirs within us and becomes our helper and our guide; He teaches us. God’s commands are not hard to understand— He asks us to love Him, to believe Him, to stop judging others and to relate to all in merciful loving kindness. He asks us to praise Him for who He is, to forgive those who hurt us, to be patient and gentle, to be truthful, to help the poor—there’s more, but you get the gist of it.His requests can be highly specific, they come as simple natural thoughts like “Bake a custard for Ms. J; call your son; send Aunt M $30; pray for Mr. W; reread the small print in that contract; forgive that driver who just cut you off.”
The process is fed and nurtured by spiritual discipline. As growing believers are diligent to read, study, pray, meditate, memorize, and apply God’s Word, the Holy Spirit personally leads them from lesson to lesson. As Jesus promised,
… when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. John 16:13 NKJV
What is our part?
As creatures of free will, we choose! We will to set aside time and give our focused attention to seeking God in His Word. When it is hard, we ask Him to help us.
We bring not only willingness, but also humility and a teachable spirit. The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to the poor in spirit. When we are overly busy or balky, or too proud and know it all (as we all have been at times) the riches of Bible truth may elude us. When we humble ourselves before God and ask His help, we are more likely hear His voice.
We also act. We give more than lip service and agree with the truth in God’s word by doing our best to live what we learn—depending always on His Holy Spirit to help us in our human weakness.
Help us, Holy Spirit. Give us the humility, the willingness, the commitment and the courage to seek and follow the truth in God’s word. Please fulfill Your purposes in our lives.
