“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16

A few weeks ago, I showed a group of teenage boys the Bible I have carried for nearly thirty years. Its pages are torn, the margins crowded with notes, and nearly every section bears the marks of hard seasons of my life. In some places, I can almost hear the voice of a younger Wes. The only problem now is that my old eyes can barely read the font anymore.

But my Bible reminds me of something important: we do not naturally drift toward the true knowledge of God.

Left to ourselves, we create gods in our own image. And those gods are rarely very impressive. They tend to share our preferences, affirm our assumptions, justify our behaviors, and ask very little of us personally. Many people reduce Christianity down to a single moral issue where they can feel superior while remaining spiritually untouched themselves.

When you sit under the Word of God, it challenges you, rebukes you, comforts you, humbles you, and transforms you. Knowing God through Scripture does not allow us to remain untouched.

The Hebrew word for “know” is yada and it means far more than intellectual awareness. It speaks of deep relational intimacy and personal experience. You did not truly “know” something unless it changed the way you lived. It is the word used for the closeness between husband and wife, the bond between parent and child, and the relationship between God and us.

To “know” God is not simply to collect facts about Him, memorize doctrines, or win theological arguments. It is to walk closely enough with Him that His voice becomes familiar and His presence reshapes your life.

This is why I begin sermons with the simple invitation: “If you brought your Bibles, open them up.” Because more than hearing my words, I want you to encounter His.

So open His Word today and get to know more of God. (Maybe start today by slowly reading the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman in chapter 4:1-42. Watch how Jesus speaks, listens, confronts, and restores; then notice the ripple effect)