Similarly I can touch and see my spouse. I can speak to her, she speaks back. I know only a little about her, but I'm pretty confident she is in fact there. I'm not so sure about a God.
So, this is where I am > I can experience God. And the Bible, to me, clearly does say that God personally shares with people. For one example,
"But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him." (1 Corinthians 6:17)
And there is more; so I consider and offer that the ones who wrote the Bible understood "and experienced" that God does personally communicate and share with people.
"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5)
This is very personal > to be "one spirit with" God Himself . . . in His love "in our hearts". So, God is not only about talking to people, but deeper than words He communicates in quietness and rest.
But when we are quiet, we can be attacked by boredom and loneliness and depression and anger and hurts and unforgiveness and bitterness and lusts. But God is able to strengthen and protect us against such anti-love, anti-peace, anti-quiet things. And Philippians 4:4-7 says He guards us with His peace while we obey how He wants us to pray.
So, yes ones are expected to experience what the Bible says God does with us.
Hebrews 12:4-11 shows me that God personally corrects whoever is His child and who is seeking Him for His personal correction, and the results guaranteed to come with His correction.
So, for me, a basic of the Bible is to read it but trust God to do with me what He means by His word. And in me He proves Himself, about what the Bible says He does in us . . . more and better as I get His correction and not only a try-to-myself, self-willing thing > Philippians 2:13.
So, it is not only about beliefs and history.
