How can I keep discovering new truths about God?
Acts 17:11The people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.
2 Timothy 3:14-17You must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
We can always learn more from God’s Word. When we are taught something spiritual, we must compare that teaching with Scripture to see if it holds up. When we read Scripture, we can pause to consider details that we have glossed over before. We can compare different passages to each other and discover how they all fit together. We can read larger chunks to get a fuller sense of the story. The more familiar we become with God’s Word, the more opportunities we will have to learn from God.
James 1:5If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
1 John 5:14-15We are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.
Through prayer, we build our relationship with God. And we can ask for knowledge and wisdom to help us serve him better. God delights in answering such requests!
John 16:12-14“There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.”
Romans 8:26The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
1 Corinthians 2:10-13It was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.
The Holy Spirit is God dwelling in us. The Spirit guides our study of God’s Word, opens our minds to God’s truth, and even prays for us when we do not know the words to say. As we learn to be attentive to the Holy Spirit, our relationship with God and our knowledge of him will grow deeper and deeper.
Psalm 119:32I will pursue your commands, for you expand my understanding.
Micah 6:8The Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Matthew 9:9As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.
2 Peter 1:5In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge.
We can learn about God through practical experience with him. When we seek to follow his commands, we learn new truths about him and we learn his values. When we give, we realize that the giver is indeed blessed (Acts 20:35). When we persevere through difficulties, we realize that God helped us grow through that experience (James 1:2-4, 12). When we rely on God to provide, we realize he cares for us just as easily as he cares for the sparrows (Matthew 6:25-34). These experiences are what “walking with God” means and are what Jesus meant when he said “Follow me.” This daily walk, this practical experience, deepens our knowledge of the Lord.
