10 Ways to Know Jesus Better
This devotional is part of our devotional series, 10 Ways to Know Jesus Better. Consider reading one devotional in the series each week. At the end of the article, you will find an action step to help you practically pursue knowing Jesus better.
Part 2: Listen to Jesus Every Day
To get to know anyone better, you have to listen to them. When you want a relationship with someone, you want to hear their thoughts, their dreams, their opinions, what makes them laugh, what makes them sad, and their whole life story. You learn these things as you listen to them.
In the Bible, Jesus speaks to you. The Lord, the Creator of the universe, has opened his heart to you! Although God spoke his Word through men, every word of the Bible is ultimately God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21). That’s why people refer to the Bible as “the Word of God.”
Listen to what Jesus tells his followers about the Bible: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27 ESV) Jesus says here that the entire Bible tells us about him. So, when you read your Bible, you are hearing God’s testimony about himself and the work he has done in the world. God’s story written in the Bible is ultimately a story about Jesus, who he is, and what he came to do for us.
But the Bible isn’t just an old record. Through it, God speaks to you today. In a mysterious way, the Bible has prophetic power in your life. Because God has put his Spirit in your heart, when you read his Word, his Holy Spirit helps you hear what God is saying to you through his Word. The Holy Spirit helps apply God’s Word (the Bible) to your heart and your circumstances.
This is what makes reading the Bible such an exciting adventure! Reading the Bible isn’t just reading a book—it’s more like having a conversation. Each day when you open your Bible, you have no idea how the Holy Spirit might teach, lead, encourage, comfort, challenge, or strengthen you.
When you open your Bible, ask God for faith to trust that the Bible is more than a book—it’s God’s Word to you. Ask God to help you listen to his voice as you read his Word. As you read your Bible, you will hear Jesus’ voice and grow to know him better (John 10:27).
Action Step
Every time you open your Bible from this day forward, ask the Holy Spirit to help you hear what God is saying to you through his Word.