By Benescke Janse van Rensburg

[After yesterday’s message on the power of the Word of God, there were many readers with the same question: “I want to know the Bible better, but I do not know where to start. Please help.”]

A few years ago, I had the same desire. I wanted to get to know God better, but I found it difficult to understand the Bible. During a casual conversation, someone gave me two steps that worked for her. I implemented it, and for the first time I experienced the Bible changing from an ordinary book into the living, powerful Word of God (Hebrews 4:12). I would like to share these two steps with you today.

Step 1: Invite the Holy Spirit to guide you
The authors of the Bible were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Who, therefore, is better to guide us in reading the Bible than precisely the Holy Spirit? When you sit down to read the Word of God, we can ask God to guide us by His Holy Spirit so we will understand what we are about to read. In John 16:13, Jesus says about the Holy Spirit: “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.  He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.”

Step 2: Set out to discover God’s character
God gave us the Bible to teach us the truth, to combat heresy and to cultivate the right attitude, but also to get to know Him better. We discover God’s character when we read his Word. In Deuteronomy 4:29 we read, “. . . you will find him (God) if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Instead of just reading a piece from the Bible, for example, the story of David and Goliath or Jonah in the fish, begin to ask yourself what the specific part shows you about God’s character. Write it down and meditate on it, knowing that God’s characteristics are still the same today and applicable in your life.

From Genesis to Revelation in the Bible, Jesus Christ stands centrally. Already after the Fall in Genesis, God planned to send Jesus to earth for our salvation. Throughout the Old Testament, He prepared humanity for the climax of creation in the beginning of the New Testament, namely the birth of his Son, Jesus Christ. If you read the Bible with this in mind, you will discover God’s infinite love, grace and mercy for us all in a new, fresh way.

Do you want to get to know God better? Get yourself a Bible reading programme (see link at the bottom of the piece) and ask the Holy Spirit to act as your guide and tutor in reading the Word. Also start looking for God in every part you read and you might also experience how the Word of God become alive and powerful and you (perhaps for the first time) might even hear God speak to you from it. God bless.

Father God, thank You for your Word. Guide me by your Holy Spirit and help me to discover your character when reading your Word. I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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