How to be in your “Knowing God” Era — That Gets to Go On With Endless Joy

Honestly, though Iva May always had an interest in the Bible, it wasn’t until she read it through chronologically that the pieces fell into place — and it transformed her life. Which has made her deeply passionate about helping others better understand who God is through His Word and ignite their passion for Bible reading and teaching. It’s a deep joy to welcome Iva May to the farm’s table today…

Guest Post by Iva May

“In the beginning God. . . .”

How many times have we just glossed over those words?

When you’re in your “Knowing God” era — you enter into a a joy era that doesn’t end!

But we, honestly, can’t afford to miss it!

Those four opening words of the Bible are a grand announcement, the setup for everything that follows. They herald God’s desire to make Himself known.

The Bible is a book about God, His ways, and His people. Without His self-revelation, we could not know Him or understand ourselves. That is why God gave us the Bible: so we don’t have to be left in the dark.

We can know Him, we get to know Him!

And frankly? When you’re in your “Knowing God” era — you enter into a a joy era that doesn’t end!

The truth of God’s existence is everywhere. Even though we cannot see God, we can see His handiwork through which He demonstrates His eternal power and divine nature. The earth and the sky reveal His invisible attributes (Romans 1:19-20). All of creation proclaims His existence. And then God made the ultimate reveal of Himself through Jesus. Jesus walked with us, talked with us, and suffered and died for us so we would know God’s abounding goodness, unending love, and powerful truth.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. What if we went back to the beginning?

Those first chapters of the Bible are pivotal. Moses gives a detailed account of the creation of the universe because during a four-hundred-year stay in Egypt, the Hebrews (God’s chosen people) started believing the Egyptian narrative that gods and goddesses governed the natural and supernatural worlds. Moses’ record of creation dismantles the false narrative and replaces it with truth.

“…God made the ultimate reveal of Himself through Jesus. Jesus walked with us, talked with us, and suffered and died for us so we would know God’s abounding goodness, unending love, and powerful truth.“

Truth starts with God Himself. From the beginning, He reveals that He exists. He demonstrates His power by simply speaking—when He speaks, things happen! What was nothing becomes something amazing.

God establishes Himself as the judge of good and evil. He evaluates what He makes and deems it good. And He immediately introduces boundaries, separating light from darkness, sky from earth, land from water, day from night, and aquatic life from aerial life. He also sets boundaries in reproduction—all animals and plants reproduce offspring of the same kind.

God makes humanity in His image—morally, spiritually, and intellectually—and gives humans the ability to reproduce more image bearers, along with the right to reign over His creation. He blesses His image bearers and anticipates all of humanity’s needs before they even have needs.

God makes orderly, integrated systems within the boundaries He created. And before He elaborates more on the crown of His creation—humanity—God evaluates everything He has created as “very good” (Genesis 1:31).

God’s goodness resonates through all he created. His design of the universe, His desire for the flourishing of plants and animals that fill the earth, and His care in the safety of and provision for His image bearers. He places Adam in a beautiful garden loaded with resources and gives him a companion to share in the beauty and bounty, to reign with him in the garden over all the earth and its created order, and to extend God’s Kingdom.

In the midst of abundant provision, God reveals His goodness and protection for His image bearers through His caution concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil: “If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die” (Genesis 2:17). Though Adam has never seen death, God makes the word understandable and promises that death would follow eating from the forbidden tree. Like so many other boundaries established in creation, this didn’t come from a place of rules or punishment but from a heart of care and love.

But would His image bearers trust His goodness and exercise rule over their appetites?

“Truth starts with God Himself. From the beginning, He reveals that He exists. He demonstrates His power by simply speaking—when He speaks, things happen! What was nothing becomes something amazing.“

Sadly, in the beginning, Adam and Eve listened to God’s enemy—the serpent, who seeks to be the dominating voice that humanity hears—and question God’s goodness, doubt His word, and eat the forbidden fruit. Sin enters their hearts. They feel shame at our nakedness, fear that causes them to hide from God, and guilt that leads them to blame others for their own faults.

But God, in His goodness, seeks them in their hiding. His questions expose their sin, but His mercy provides both a promise of future restoration, that an offspring of the woman would crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15), and a picture of hope (Genesis 3:21).

The rest of the biblical story tracks God’s goodness against the backdrop of humanity’s rebellion. The refrain “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!” (Psalm 136:1) can be applied to each era of the Bible. God’s goodness is experienced:

in the Patriarch Era, when He chooses a man from an idolatrous family to found a nation.in the Exodus Era, as He liberates His people from slavery and cares for them in the wilderness despite their frequent rebellion.in the Conquest Era, as He gives His people the land promised to Abraham and his descendants.in the Judges Era, where He raises up a family from Judah through whom the redemption story continues.in the Kingdom Era, through a king after God’s own heart and through His glory settling on the Temple built by Solomon.in the Divided Kingdom Era, when His people are disciplined and called to repentance.in the Captivity and Return Eras, as His people are sustained during the seventy years of Babylonian captivity and then are prepared for the coming of the Messiah when they return home.in the Silent Era, as both His people and His written Word are preserved.

Finally, God’s goodness is on ultimate display in Christ Jesus, who bears guilty humanity’s penalty in His death on the cross and then bursts out of death’s tomb and ascends to heaven.

And today, God is not done revealing His goodness to us.

IT’S UTTERLY MIRACULOUS AND DAILY: The Holy Spirit speaks to each of our hearts, guiding us and nudging us into closer relationship with the triune God until that day when His goodness consumes everything and “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!” plays on gloriously for all eternity.

God longs for us to know Him and be in relationship with Him right now.

The Bible is not just a book of stories, it’s a guide to God’s goodness that surrounds us, a connection point to His grace and mercy, and an invitation to come closer and truly know Him.

When you’re in your “Knowing God” era — you’re in an era of eternal wonder, infinite meaningfulness, and endless awe.

This is an invitation to an era your soul longs to say yes to.

I can’t recommend a CHRONOLOGICAL Bible enough! An absolute MUST to really enter into more fully understanding the story of God and more intimately knowing Him.

Iva May is a founder of Chronological Bible Teaching. She also is the general editor for The One Year Chronological Study Bible, which takes you on a profound journey to experience God’s story as it unfolds in chronological order. It guides you through events with daily Scripture readings enhanced with study guides and reflection questions. Connect the dots of the Bible’s narrative, gaining a deeper understanding that empowers you to apply its teachings to your life.

This unique approach helps you construct a holistic view of the Bible, revealing how its diverse parts harmoniously work together. Discover your place in the grand narrative of God’s unfolding plan! So worth it!

She and her husband, Stan, along with their three kids, lived for several years in Zimbabwe, Africa, where they planted churches and discipled Christ-followers. She loves traveling and has visited over 30 countries.

{Our humble thank to Tyndale for their partnership in today’s devotional.}