IBS-54 Find the Application: Get to know God

Big Idea: Studying the Bible we can get to know God better like getting to know another person.

Get to Know God

How do you get to know God? The best source is to study the Bible. In my inductive studies I read a Bible passage highlighting God with yellow; often differentiating Father, Son and Holy Spirit. When you study a passage, noting God is a good place to begin. It is also a great way to quickly see where God shows up and what it tells us about Him.

Think God

A sermon I heard recently asked some powerful questions about God.

• How often do you think of God? Is He the first thing you think of?
• When you go to God what picture do you have of Him?
• What do you think when you start to pray?
• What do you expect of God?
• What do you know of God?

Think God. Get used to Him being in your thoughts. Ask what a Bible passage shows you. Some places in the Bible God is not obvious, such as in the book of Esther, or tabernacle instructions in the book of Leviticus. It is important to know that every book is in the Bible for a reason, and God is behind that reason. Where is His influence evident?

 

Getting to know someone

Getting to know someone means talking with them and asking questions. Find out their likes and dislikes, their hopes, dreams and fears. What is the essence of their character? What makes them happy, sad or angry? How do they interact in relationships and in community? What is their reason for being? Their work ethic?

Think of getting to know God like that through the Word. Does God have likes and dislikes? The Bible shows what pleases Him and what doesn’t please Him. He has hopes and dreams. He has plans, always looking at the future with an eternal perspective. He is a relational God who delights in people and He delights interacting as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He expresses happiness, sadness and anger through the Bible. As we spend time in the Word we learn more and more who God is.

A single passage may show you just one aspect of His character. Ask yourself these questions as you study:

• What is His character? What traits are revealed?
• What do I learn about His nature? About the Trinity?
• Does God’s personality show through? Does He reveal happiness, sadness, or anger?
• Does it show God, or does it tell you something about Him?
• What are His plans? What does He think of my plans?

Getting to know God, like with people, takes quality time. Give Him that honor.

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This post is fifty-fourth in a series as a Practical Starter Guide for Inductive Bible Study.

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Reflect:

1. How often do you think about God in a day? Do you think of Him first when you are troubled? When you are hopeful?

2. Have you ever felt that excitement and ease with God like the song states “Getting to know you”? Are you in the Word? Are you learning new things about Him day by day?