How can I know God?
Deep in each of our hearts, there is something that stirs in us that points us to the spiritual side of life. A historical Christian leader once said, “We will not be at rest until we find our rest in God.” But how do we come to know God? Where do we start?
Down through history, God has taken the initiative to reveal Himself to us. He then carefully guided those who had come to know Him to record the events of their lives. But the clearest way that God has made Himself known to us is when He sent His one and only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into the world 2000 years ago… “No one has ever seen God at any time; the only unique Son, the only begotten God, who is in the intimate presence of the Father, He has declared Him — He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known.” - John 1:18 from the Bible.
God ensured that all these events and the life of Christ would be written down for us and put into the Bible that we have today – over 2500 years of history recorded by more than 40 eye witnesses. If you want to know God, or want to find out more about Him, let me encourage you to begin reading the Bible, asking God to reveal Himself to you as you read, as He did to the people you read about on its pages.
There are 66 books in the Bible. I’ve given you an ordered list below where I would recommend that you begin reading. Two suggestions: First, think about and focus on what you do understand and what stands out to you as you read. Don’t worry about what you don’t understand at first…that will come later. Secondly, if you come across a long genealogy or list of some type, skip or skim over them quickly at first…those, too, will fall into place later.
Knowing God personally has been the greatest adventure of my life. I am experiencing day-by-day what one writer said in the Bible... “For in Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) the whole fullness of deity (God) dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness of life in Him, who is the Head of all rule and authority”- Colossians 2:9-10.
May you come to experience the joy of intimately knowing God, our Creator and Sustainer and Savior, the One who loves us deeply and wants us to share all of who He is.
Recommended reading list (read in order)
Use the table of contents in the front of the Bible to find the books
Luke – New Testament — Biography of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.
1st John – In the back of the New Testament — Understanding what God has done for us.
John – New Testament — Biography of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans – New Testament — Understanding what God has done for us.
Ephesians – New Testament — Understanding what God has done for us.
Colossians – New Testament — Understanding what God has done for us.
Hebrews – New Testament — Understanding what God did through the Lord Jesus Christ.
1st Peter – New Testament — What faith in God is like in real life.
James – New Testament — What faith in God is like in real life.
Acts – New Testament — History of those who knew the Lord Jesus Christ.
Mark – New Testament — Biography of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew – New Testament — Biography of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians – New Testament — Understanding what God has done for us.
Psalms – Old Testament — Writings of David, someone known as
“a man after God’s own heart”.
Genesis – Old Testament — Story of creation and God forming a people who would
know Him and belong to Him.
Exodus – Old Testament — Story of God saving His people.
Note…Skip or skim over the list of laws in the last half of this book.
Proverbs – Old Testament – Wisdom for life.
Rest of New Testament – One book at a time, reading those books you haven’t read so far.
Rest of the Old Testament – One book at a time from Joshua through Malachi.
Note...The first time you read the Bible, skip the books of Leviticus, Numbers and
Deuteronomy in the front half of the Old Testament.
