His Story

Pastor Betters mentioned the adage that all of history is His-Story. We all love a great story. We live in a world surrounded by stories. We feed our love for a good story through TV with sitcoms, dramas, news, and even sports. Sports? Yes, every sporting event tells a story of sorts about teams or individuals in their quest for victory. Also, we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of our passion for stories if we don’t mention the written form of our desire such as books, magazines, blogs, and newspapers.

We have this insatiable desire for a story. God created us to communicate, relate, and share. We do a great deal of that through stories of some sort. Would it be such a broad stretch to say that God designed us as story beings? Is the story something we can live without? A story would not be ranked too high according to Maslow’s assessment of man’s most important needs: air, water, food etc.

However God’s word, His story, is elevated to a class all by itself among stories and man’s needs. God elevates the importance of His word to the same physical level as food and drink. Jesus, in His own words, says, “…Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). And God’s word is more than just provision for physical life. It is our only sustenance in spiritual life. Our spiritual lives depend on this Word “…that became flesh and dwelt among us.” God’s Story comes off the pages and lives within us. This kind of story needs more than all of our senses and 3-D glasses to perceive.

If God’s word is God’s story and His glory through His Son Jesus, then why is it sometimes like dry toast to me… or worse diet popcorn? Why is it that I would sometimes rather turn on the TV than open God’s Word? Maybe this is more of a statement about the reader (me) than the Writer.

I believe this happens when I approach His word as just words on a page. I approach His word looking for information or insight instead of relationship… or worse I’m reading because Christians are supposed to.

God’s word does not have to come alive. I do!

Do you ever feel this way? Do you ever approach God’s word as a ‘religious’ chore or duty? Join me in asking God to give us fresh eyes to trace His hand and see His glory in the lives of the heroes and fathers of our faith. But let’s not just be satisfied with seeking His glory of the past. Let’s ask Him to help us to see His Spirit and glory moving and working around and through our lives today. Let’s beg Him to use us in His Story as if it were the very air, water, and food of our souls.

Bill McConomy