The people in the Bible remind us that our stories are not so different from theirs.
Our church started a Bible study on Wednesday night on the Gospel of Luke. I love Luke because of all of the intricate details that it includes. Luke is the only place where we see Gabriel visit Mary and Zechariah to tell them about their miraculous babies.
Luke also includes “Mary’s Song.” After Mary has had some time to let the angel’s news sink in and after she has spent some time with her older and wiser and also pregnant, cousin, Elizabeth, she embraces her situation. She comes to realize that the unplanned and unanticipated pregnancy, is actually a gift, a blessing from God.
She decides to believe that God does have a beautiful plan and she bursts out in a song. The musical loving gal in me, can so appreciate this.
Our pastor pointed out that Mary’s song was similar to a prayer spoken by another woman named Hannah, hundreds of years earlier. Hannah was old and desperate for a child and God heard her prayer and Samuel was born. But, he pointed out, while the two praises were similar, Mary’s was different. She took Hannah’s prayer and made it her own.
Our pastor said he felt like that’s what the entire Gospel of Luke does, it makes Jesus’ story, our story.
I pondered that all day the next day. Isn’t that why the Bible is so important for guidance for Christians? Yes, it’s God’s word, but it’s also the story of God’s people. As God’s modern-day people, we can see our story in theirs. That’s what makes the Bible so amazing.
No, we probably won’t ever see the entire earth flooded and build and board an ark, but Noah teaches us that we can trust God. Noah teaches us that God will save those who walk with Him. Noah teaches us patience and obedience.
We probably won’t ever be put on the spot to save our entire nation, like Queen Esther, but Esther teaches us that we were made for the very moment we are living in and that God will use us if we trust Him and allow Him to.
Most of us aren’t or haven’t been a prostitute like Rahab, but her story teaches us that we are all redeemable if we decide to worship God.
Most of us aren’t ever going to be shepherds, or a king, but David teaches us about slaying giants and about repentance and God’s unfailing love for His people.
Most of us won’t ever be sold into slavery by our brothers like Joseph. But, Joseph’s story teaches us about faith and trust in God and forgiveness for others.
Why do Christians read the Bible? Because we can easily see our story woven in with theirs. We have all been betrayed. We have all needed redemption. We have all needed to be forgiven and we have needed to forgive others. We all need to learn to trust and obey God and we all need to grow our faith.
The Bible teaches us all of that through the stories of God’s people and ultimately through Jesus, the greatest love story ever told.
And the story of God’s people is still being written today. What will your part be?
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂