Do you want to know the truth about God—who he is, what he stands for, and what his will is? In his Word, the Bible, Jehovah God reveals the whole truth about himself. But not just anyone can read the Bible and fully grasp that truth. Why? Because grasping such spiritual truth is a matter of privilege; not everyone receives it. Let us consider what Jesus said in this regard.—Read Matthew 11:25.

That verse begins with the words: “At that time Jesus said in response.” So, what Jesus is about to say is perhaps in response to what has just occurred. He has just rebuked the unresponsive people of three Galilean cities where he had performed powerful works. (Matthew 11:20-24) You might wonder, ‘How could anyone see Jesus’ miraculous works and not respond to the truths he taught?’ The unresponsiveness of the people had to do with their stubborn attitude of heart.—Matthew 13:10-15.

Jesus knew that to unlock the spiritual truth found in the Bible, we need two things: God’s help and the right heart attitude. Jesus explains: “I publicly praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intellectual ones and have revealed them to babes.” Do you see why it is that grasping the spiritual truth found in the Bible may be considered a matter of privilege? Jehovah, the “Lord of heaven and earth,” may hide or reveal the truth according to his sovereign will. But God is not arbitrary in this matter of revelation. On what basis does he reveal Bible truth to some and not to others?

Jehovah favors the humble, not the haughty. (James 4:6) He hides the truth from “wise and intellectual ones”—worldly-wise and learned ones who in their pride and self-reliance feel no need for his help. (1 Corinthians 1:19-21) But he reveals the truth to “babes”—those who come to him with sincere hearts, showing childlike humility. (Matthew 18:1-4; 1 Corinthians 1:26-28) God’s Son, Jesus, saw such responses firsthand. Many proud, highly educated religious leaders did not get the sense of Jesus’ message, but humble fishermen did. (Matthew 4:18-22; 23:1-5; Acts 4:13) At the same time, some wealthy and educated ones who showed genuine humility became Jesus’ followers.—Luke 19:1, 2, 8; Acts 22:1-3.

We come back to the question raised at the outset: Do you want to know the truth about God? If so, you may find comfort in knowing that God does not favor those who consider themselves worldly-wise. On the contrary, he favors those whom the worldly-wise may look down on. If you study God’s Word with the right attitude of mind and heart, you may be among those to whom Jehovah gives a precious gift—an understanding of the truth about him. Grasping that truth will add meaning to your life now and can lead to “the real life”—endless life in God’s promised new world of righteousness soon to come. *—1 Timothy 6:12, 19; 2 Peter 3:13.