"This is God’s Word. It is smarter than you are. [Amen!] God is smarter than you are. And if you think that is a call to anti-intellectualism…the smartest people that have ever lived have devoted themselves to trying to make sense of the the book that is God’s book. It’s foolish to do anything else with your brain. God has given you a brain and He means for you to use it maximally to make sense of this best as you can. It will keep you busy the rest of your mental life."

Selected quotes from essay in ‘Understanding Scripture’ eds. Grudem, Collins and Schreiner by John Piper

Definition of communion with God: Before we see the Bible’s answer, let’s clarify what we mean by “communion.” Communion refers to God’s communication and presentation of himself to us, together with our proper response to him with joy. We say “with joy” because it would not be com- munion if God revealed himself in total wrath and we were simply terrified. That would be true revelation and a proper response, but it would not be communion.

Our need for communion with God. Communion with God is the end for which we were created. The Bible says that we were created for the glory of God (Isa. 43:7). Yet glorifying God is not something we do after communing with him, but by communing with him. Many human deeds magnify the glory of God’s goodness, but only if they flow from our contentment in communion with him. This is why we pray, “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love” (Ps. 90:14). The joy of this communion in the love of God confirms God’s worth and shows his glory.

The Bible as a means for communion. Therefore, the first thing to say about the Bible in relation to communion with God is that the message of how to be reconciled to God for the glory of God is the central message of the Bible. There is no communion with God without salvation from our sin and God’s wrath. The Bible is the only book with final authority that tells us what God did through Christ and how we must respond through faith to be saved and to enjoy communion with God (2 Tim. 3:15). But the Bible is more. The Bible tells the story of creation, of the fall of humanity into sin, and of the history of God’s chosen people Israel leading up to the coming of the Messiah, Jesus. Then it recounts the life of Christ and his teachings, his mighty works, his death, his resurrection, and his ascension. Finally, it tells the story of the early church after Jesus had returned to heaven, and how we are to live until Jesus comes again.

God-centered communion with God. To be sure, God is active everywhere in the world today, and we experience his precious power wherever we trust him and do his will. But we will go astray if we make this daily experience of God the basis of our communion with him. We know God for who he is, and meet him as he is, when we meet him through his Word—the Bible. We see this principle at work, for example, in 1 Samuel 3:21: “The Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.” The Lord himself is revealed by his word, that is, by what he says to us, whether audibly or in written form. Therefore, when we seek to enjoy communion with the Lord—and not to be led astray by the ambiguities of religious experience—we read the Bible.

How should we respond in communion with God? God communicates with us in many ways through the Bible and seeks the response of our communion with him. If God indicts us (2 Cor. 7:8–10), we respond to him with sorrow and repentance. If he commends us (Ps. 18:19–20), we respond to him with humble gratitude and joy. If he commands us to do something (Matt. 28:19–20), we look to him for strength and resolve to obey with his help. If he makes a promise (Heb. 13:5–6), we marvel at his grace and trust him to do what he says. If he warns us of some danger (Luke 21:34), we take him seriously and watch with a thankful sense of his presence and protection. If he describes something about himself (Isa. 46:9–11), his Son (Mark 1:11), or his Holy Spirit (John 16:13–14), we affirm it and admire it and pray for clearer eyes to see and enjoy his greatness and beauty.

The Trinity in communion according to Owen. As the great Puritan John Owen wrote in his classic Communion with God, the Father communicates himself to us by the way of “original authority,” the Son from a “purchased treasury,” and the Spirit by an “immediate efficacy.” 

Prayer and communion with God. Prayer is the verbal aspect of our response to God in communion with him. The Bible does speak of “groanings too deep for words” (Rom. 8:26), but ordinarily prayer is the response of our heart to God in words. It may be in private (Matt. 6:6) or in public (1 Cor. 14:16). It may last all night (Luke 6:12) or be summed up in a moment’s cry (Matt. 14:30). It may be desperate (Jonah 2:2) or joyful (Ps. 119:162). It may be full of faith (Mark 11:24) or wavering with uncertainty (Mark 9:24).

But it is not optional. It is commanded—which is good news, because it means that God loves being the giver of omnipotent help (Ps. 50:15). 

God’s glory and our joy in prayer. The Bible shows that prayer is near the heart of why God created the world. When we pray for God to do what only he can do, he alone gets the glory, while we get the joy. We see this when Jesus says, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13), and then later says, “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24). In prayer, God gets the glory and we get the joy. God is the overflowing fountain; we are satisfied with the living water. He is infinitely rich; we are the happy heirs.

What do we pray for so that God gets the glory and we get the joy? Central to all our praying, as we have seen, must be our longing that God’s name be hallowed in the world—known and honored and loved (Matt. 6:9). To that end, we pray (1) for his church to be “filled with the fruit of righteousness … to the glory and praise of God” (Phil. 1:11); (2) that the gospel would spread and awaken faith in Jesus among all the nations (2 Thess. 3:1); and (3) that many who do not believe would be saved (Rom. 10:1).

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Source: http://www.wtsbooks.com/pdf_files/9781433529993.pdf

From Passion 2011: Words that brought clarity and conviction out of confusion

Tonight as I sat in the carpark after hearing this sermon, I prayed a prayer of thanksgiving, reminded of how gracious and good God is to a sinner like me. These 7 truths showed me afresh the truth that God makes much of me BY freeing me to make much of God. In other words, by being God-centered in how He loves me, God is loving me most. Loving God is the highest joy there is, and God loves me most when He guards His own glory and the source of my joy. While this may sound complicated and philosophical, it was a fresh blessing to my soul to taste this truth from Scripture again. 

In addition God also makes much of me in Christ. Piper preached magnificently on this topic too, showing that the truth that God makes much of Himself and that He makes much of me are two compatible and complementary, if not, mutual-affirming truths, when one understands that the second is fulfilled IN the first. These 7 truths blew my mind, and brought me to tears as I was so amazed by how much God has in store for me.

Helpfully, Piper referenced John Newton’s analogy of the man going to receive a million dollar inheritance but suffered a punctured tyre in his chariot. Muttering the whole way, “I have a puncture in my tyre. I have a puncture in my tyre,” the man acts like a fool failing to anticipate his joy and great inheritance. That’s how we live our lives, most of the time! Look forward to the great inheritance, the great reward that is in Christ Jesus. These are the 7 things that God used to soothe my soul and demonstrate His love for me in Christ:

 1.) God makes much of us by being pleased with us and commending our lives.

2.) God makes much of us by making fellow heirs with His son who owns everything.

3.) God makes much of us by having us sit at the table when Jesus returns and he serves us as if He was the slave and we were the masters.

4.) God makes much of us by appointing us to carry out the judgement of angels.

5.) God makes much of by ascribing value to us and rejoicing over us as his treasured possession.

6.) God makes much of us by giving us a glorious body like Jesus’ resurrection body.

7.) God makes much of you by granting you to sit with Christ on His throne.

Source: http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/conference-messages/getting-to-the-bottom-of-your-joy