Do you have some favorite stories from your youth? A good story can impact us in many ways, and the best stories are true, holding extra value.
What better place to read amazing, true stories than in God’s Word? The phrase ‘Bible story’ can connote childish tales, but these accounts are even more impactful as we age and gain understanding. When we read them under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are affected the way God knows we need to be at that time. Have you had the experience of reading from the Scriptures and understanding some part of it in a fresh, impactful way, even though you have read that passage many previous times?
The Bible’s 66 books by 40 authors spans 1,500 years with one main theme: God’s redemptive work to bring broken people to him through Jesus. Through stories in the Bible, we learn about God’s character as he sovereignly worked throughout history. Learning from these narratives, histories, songs, and letters shapes our view of the holy God.
Who God is needs to be based on the truth, not our idea of who we think God ought to be as seen through our limited perspective.
Certain Bible stories are commonly discussed and used in sermon examples, but we can learn much from the expanse of them all. Children’s books may present a core of biblical stories, but the main themes may not accurately be portrayed for fear of offending young minds. How refreshing it is to go through God’s Word and reread, or read for the first time, accounts of how God worked and see his faithful, holy character. We are reminded of our brokenness and the need for our Savior, of our lack and how our Provider meets our needs. When using Follow and Lead as your devotional and memory verse resource, you read a Bible story each week that relates to a character trait of God. You get to know God more intimately as you see how he relates to various people throughout various times in biblical history.
We all have a story to tell – our own, told from our point of view. Thankfully - humbly and amazingly - God allows us to be a part of his story as he works in the world, and specifically in us. We can tell our story so that God gets glorified – after all, he is life’s main character! Let’s allow God to write our story – he is the best author!
Listen to the song “My Story” as encouragement to give God the glory in your life’s story.