Q: Can you assist me in knowing God? — Millen, from Kenya
A: Dear Millen, how wonderful it is that you are reaching out to know God! The first thing to know about God is that He loves you and is drawing you to Himself.
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you,” He says in Jeremiah 31:3. And in Isaiah 43:1, we’re told: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.”
The Bible is filled with beautiful promises, and reading it is one of the best ways to get to know God. Always begin with prayer, asking Him to guide and teach you.
I would suggest starting with the Gospels at the beginning of the New Testament. These books record the life of Jesus while He was on Earth and are filled with the gems of His teachings, such as the Sermon on the Mount beginning in Matthew 5, and His many parables, such as the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son in Luke 15.
Your heart will be touched as you read the closing scenes of Jesus’ life as recorded in the final chapters of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and see Him hanging there on the cross for you and for me. Then experience the joy of the resurrection as recorded by the Gospel writers, and walk along with two disciples and the resurrected Jesus on the road to Emmaus, as recorded in Luke 24.
Prayer is another important way to know God. Find a quiet, private place to pray and open your heart to Him as you would to a most trusted Friend. In the beautiful book “Steps to Christ,” we read:
“Keep your wants, your joys, your sorrows, your cares, and your fears before God. You cannot burden Him; you cannot weary Him. He who numbers the hairs of your head is not indifferent to the wants of His children. “The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” James 5:11.
“His heart of love is touched by our sorrows and even by our utterances of them. Take to Him everything that perplexes the mind. Nothing is too great for Him to bear, for He holds up worlds, He rules over all the affairs of the universe. Nothing that in any way concerns our peace is too small for Him to notice.
“There is no chapter in our experience too dark for Him to read; there is no perplexity too difficult for Him to unravel. No calamity can befall the least of His children, no anxiety harasses the soul, no joy cheer, no sincere prayer escapes the lips, of which our heavenly Father is unobservant, or in which He takes no immediate interest. “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3.
“The relations between God and each soul are as distinct and full as though there were not another soul upon the earth to share His watchcare, not another soul for whom He gave His beloved Son” (p. 100).
I encourage you to download this beautiful book, Steps to Christ, free at: https://media2.egwwritings.org/swf/en_SC/index.html
Finally, I suggest that you find a trusted person, such as a pastor or godly teacher, with whom you can study more. To find a local Seventh-day Adventist Church, simply click on the following link, and then click on the part of the world where you live: www.adventistdirectory.org/BrowseWorld.aspx