WHEN you are seeking counsel, do you not go to someone who is trustworthy? If the advice comes from a source you trust, you would be more inclined to follow it, whether you derive immediate benefits from it or not. If you are really to benefit from the practical counsel found in the Bible, you must become acquainted with its Author. Why, you may even come to be considered his “friend”!—Isaiah 41:8.

² If you wish to befriend someone, you would no doubt want to know his name. Does the God of the Bible have a name? He declared: “I am Jehovah. That is my name; and to no one else shall I give my own glory, neither my praise to graven images.” (Isaiah 42:8) “Jehovah,” which is written יהוה (read from right to left) in the Hebrew language, is his name. That name appears nearly 7,000 times in the Hebrew Scriptures of the Bible. The divine name is understood to mean “He Causes to Become,” implying that Jehovah causes himself to become whatever he needs to be in order to accomplish his purposes or causes to happen with regard to his creation whatever is needed to accomplish his purpose. In Hebrew his name is in a grammatical form that denotes an action in the process of being accomplished. What does that signify? It tells us that Jehovah has caused and is still causing his purposes to be accomplished. He is a living God, not an impersonal force!

³ Jehovah became the Creator. (Genesis 1:1) He is “the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all the things in them.” (Acts 14:15) Jehovah created everything, including the first human couple, Adam and Eve. Thus, God is “the source of life.” (Psalm 36:9) He also became the Sustainer of life. So “he did not leave himself without witness in that he did good, giving you rains from heaven and fruitful  seasons, filling your hearts to the full with food and good cheer.” (Acts 14:17) In Africa and Asia, many worship their ancestors because of having received life from them. Should they not feel even more indebted to the Creator and Sustainer of life, the One who created the first couple and gave them procreative ability? Meditating on that fact may move you to exclaim: “You are worthy, Jehovah, even our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created.”—Revelation 4:11.

⁴ Through the pages of the Bible, you can come to know your Creator, Jehovah, and learn what kind of God he is. It reveals that “God is love.” (1 John 4:16; Exodus 34:6, 7) As you read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, you will find numerous accounts showing that he is indeed a loving God. Why not make it a habit to read God’s Word daily in order to get to know your Creator? Study the Bible carefully with the help of those who are familiar with its contents. (Acts 8:26-35) Doing so, you will see that he is also a God of justice, who will not permit wickedness forever. (Deuteronomy 32:4) Maintaining a balance between love and justice is not easy for man, but in His wisdom, Jehovah keeps them in perfect balance. (Romans 11:33; 16:27) Being God Almighty, he has the power to do whatever he wants in order to accomplish his purposes. (Genesis 17:1) Try to apply the wise counsel that you find in the Bible, and you will appreciate your Creator even more, realizing that his counsel always works to our benefit.

⁵ There is still another way to approach God. It is through prayer. Jehovah is the “Hearer of prayer.” (Psalm 65:2) He can “do more than superabundantly beyond all the things we ask or conceive.” (Ephesians 3:20) Yet, what would you think of a “friend” who comes to you only when he wants a favor from you? You would probably not think too highly of him. Accordingly, you would no doubt want to use the privilege of prayer not only to ask God for what you need but also to thank and praise him.—Philippians 4:6, 7; 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 18.