When the Story Seems Too Long

 

When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.” Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Wildgoats’ Rocks. And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave. And the men of David said to him, “Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’” Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. And afterward David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord’s anointed.” So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. (1 Samuel 24:1-7 ESV).

 

When king Saul failed to obey and honor the Lord, Samuel explained that God would give the throne to “a man after his own heart” (cf. 1 Samuel 13:14). That man, David, soon entered the ranks of Saul’s army and became a powerful warrior. Saul felt threatened by this, so he launched an effort to pursue David and kill him. David escaped into the wilderness, living for years as a fugitive.

 

Now, God also tested David in a way like Saul, giving the young warrior a chance to take a shortcut around God’s leading and timing. While hunting for David, Saul ended up entering the same cave in which David was hiding. But Saul didn’t know David was there. David’s men urged him to kill Saul while he had the chance. But David refused, knowing it would be wrong to kill one who had been anointed by God to lead his people. He knew it wouldn’t be right to try to seize the kingship in that way. Eventually David became king over Israel, but by God’s timing, not his (cf. 2 Samuel 5:1-5).

 

When it seems that God is taking way too long to release us from our pain and trouble it is easy to be tempted to take short-cuts. It’s easy to grow frustrated when we think God should deliver us more quickly. Yet God’s timing is always for our good. The problem isn’t that God is taking too long; the problem is that we can’t see what only God can see. Our waiting shows our trust in him. Keep trusting no matter how long your journey seems to be!

 

The Length of God's Story

 

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb. (Genesis 12:1-9 ESV).

 

The main difference between a novel and a novella lies in their length and complexity. A novel is a longer work of fiction, typically over 40,000 words, while a novella is shorter, generally falling between 17,500 and 40,000 words. Novels often have multiple characters, subplots, and a more complex structure, while novellas tend to focus on a single, central conflict and fewer characters, leading to a faster pace. And, of course, if we’re talking about a short-story or an essay, they can vary in length from 200-1,000 words.

 

Sometimes God’s stories cover a very long period of time and can extend the time of our journey. In our reading today we see Abram (Abraham) discovers this truth very vividly. God came into Abram’s story in a big way when he was 75 years old. God called him to leave one of the greatest cities in the world to head for parts unknown. The only thing Abram and his wife, Sarai, had to go on was a mysterious promise: “I will make you into a great nation.”

 

But then—nothing happened for a long time. Years passed, with no sign of a family on the way. Then a decade, followed by another decade. Eventually Abram was nearly 100 years old, and Sarai was almost ninety, well past the possibility of a normal pregnancy. Their suspense may well have turned to cynicism as God seemed to have forgotten their story. But then God revealed more of His story in their lives. He came to visit them in disguise (cf. Genesis 18). He promised they would have their long-awaited child in about a year. Sarah laughed, but she soon became pregnant, and then Isaac was born (cf. Genesis 21)! God hadn’t forgotten; he was just building anticipation for a dramatic plot twist.

 

Sometimes our stories take a long time too. Perhaps you’re in the middle of a long wait in the story God is writing in your life. Perhaps you’ve begun to think that God has forgotten you. Be assured: he hasn’t. God is still writing your story! Trust Him for a GREAT ending!

 

A Picture or a Story?

 

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. (Isaiah 43:1-4 ESV).

 

A picture can indeed tell a story, and sometimes, it can do so more effectively than words. In fact, the common wisdom is that "a picture is worth a thousand words." However, it's more nuanced than simply a one-to-one word count comparison. A picture can convey emotion, mood, and even complex narratives, but the effectiveness of storytelling through images, depending on the photographer's skill in capturing and arranging those images, will create a coherent narrative. Such a story is not merely a snapshot of a moment, it is the total sum of the subject. God is the Master Storyteller.

 

I’ll be honest: there are days when I’m not sure I want someone else to be my storyteller. I’m not sure I want my story to head through uncertainty while it slowly winds its way toward God’s happy ending. While it might be exciting for other people to see God weave their stories through adventure after adventure, I personally find that kind of suspense exhausting.

 

Instead of a story, I think I would prefer a nice picture. I think I would rather have a nice photograph or painting where nothing much happens. I can imagine a pleasant scene where I am enjoying beautiful weather in lovely surroundings. And the best part about this picture would be that it would present very few surprises. Mostly I’d just sit there, relaxing. There are days when I think I’d rather feel that kind of safety than to actually experience God at work. Fortunately, God doesn’t usually grant me that request. Perhaps the same is true for you. You see, we don’t shape our stories; they shape us. Every twist and turn in your narrative is a carefully arranged step in God’s process for developing each of us into the image of Christ. God determines exactly what is necessary for helping us become the person God has called us to be. God doesn’t lead us into our life stories because those adventures will be easy. He leads us into them because they will be good.

 

How about you… are you willing to let God lead you?

 

The Suspense of God's Story

 

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we await for it with patience. (Romans 8:18-25 ESV).

 

Most of us have had at least one experience that scared us enough to make us walk a little more cautiously. Growing up often riding my bicycle through the neighborhood to go to a friend’s house or sneak off to grandma’s to get some of her home cooking, I’d always take shortcuts through the alley’s. However, one day, as I emerged from one of those shortcuts the biggest, meanest dog started to chase me nipping at my feet as I tried to pedal faster than the dog could run.  I did develop a defense against the dog. It seems that one good smack from a broomstick I fashioned for the next ride through the alley kept the dog from chasing me. He never chased me again. I still carried the broomstick though. You see, I never did like scary; I liked happy a lot better.

 

As you and I discover the Bible’s story, we often find that we don’t really like scary either. The Bible’s story leads us from Eden into a world where everything starts to hurt: our work feels futile, our marriages and families cause us pain. We quickly find ourselves stuck in a world that doesn’t feel right. Most of the time, instead of challenges and stresses, I’d rather have my story just stop for a while. But that would soon get boring, and I’d miss out on more significant experiences that God desires to work in my life. That’s often how He writes a really good story in our life.

 

If God wanted to write a really good story in your life, would you let him?

 

God's Storyboard

 

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. (Genesis 3:1-7 ESV).

 

When I decided to write The Lone Star: Independence I did not know nearly as much as I would when I finished it! I have written other books, though this one was a new venture since it was a work of fiction. Some of you may have read it. It was a fun experience though difficult at times. I knew enough to begin with an outline of where I wanted the story to go; however, the more I wrote the outline, the more I found it necessary to have what is known as a “storyboard.” Of course, there were other necessities before the first paragraph was ever written. I had to have a character tree, which was ever expanding as the story did.  

 

I knew the elements of the story; and, I knew that something needed to happen for it to become a story. Something needed to take place that hadn’t already happened at the beginning. But getting a story from the beginning to the end isn’t as easy as we might think. The characters in the story needed to set out on a new adventure, or they needed to deal with new problems or needs that had arisen and needed fixing. That is what is called the plot of the story. Ultimately a good story usually involves some kind of trouble: some problem to be fixed or a situation to be resolved. Without some kind of trouble you end up with a boring story.

 

The story of the Bible charges directly into the worst trouble imaginable. By chapter 3 the entire creation has been ruined by the main characters. As a perfect world crashes into its curse, we discover that somebody needs to do something. There is the reference to the protagonist defeating the antagonist when Moses writes that God said to Eve: “… I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (v. 15). It is a clear reference to God fixing the trouble with His Son, Jesus (cf. John 3:16).

 

This is God’s story. The world is broken, but he will fix it! Praise be to God! There is so much more to this story. For now, thank God for His perfect solution to our dire need!

 

The Story of God and Man

 

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:1-8 ESV).

 

There is a temptation to think that using the word “story” when talking about God and the things He has said and done might be interpreted to mean “fable.” Nothing could be further from the truth. I believe all the Scripture is inspired (breathed) by God and absolutely true and without error. By using the word “story” I merely want to convey the scope and depth of what God has done in life. In fact, He has been working good for us before life began and will still be working good long after our lives are spent on this earth.

 

So, we can unapologetically say that the Bible is not simply a book that includes a lot of stories but that the whole Bible itself is one big story. It’s the story of what God has done in creation, what we did to sabotage his efforts, and what God is doing now in his vast, eternal plan to fix what we ruined. The main character is always God.

 

This is important. Christianity is the only faith in which God is the one who does the heavy lifting. Every other religion, including atheism, ultimately comes down to a set of instructions for what people need to do to make things better. In the history-spanning drama that brings the Christian gospel to the world, however, God is the main actor, and we play only supporting roles. Jesus Christ entered our world and carried the burden of everything that had gone wrong.

 

So, the Bible is the account of what God has done. It’s a grand story with supporting materials. While it includes plenty of foundational doctrines and important ethical teachings, the most important thing about the Bible is that it tells us what God has done. That makes it a story, the greatest story of all time. When you read the Bible, I encourage you to read it as a book of what God has done, not a book about what you should do.

 

The Greatest Storyteller

 

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. (Psalm 139:13-18 ESV).

 

I hope you will forgive the use of an AI created image today. As I was preparing to write these next few devotionals, I wanted to conjure up a thought in your imagination of an old wise man immersed in his books writing a story. As you may know, I am a storyteller of sorts. In fact, I have been told that sometimes my stories are a bit too detailed and lengthy. I admit that I love to spin a tale. I do hope all of the stories have a purposeful effect on those who may be reading or listening to them.

 

This same thought brings me to the truth that I want to focus our attention on in the coming days. God is a storyteller. However, it’s surprising how easily we can end up missing the stories God has written for our lives. Winston Churchill once famously claimed that history was simply “one … thing after another.” In other words, he claimed there was no story behind our experiences in life, only a series of events. He couldn’t have been more wrong. If he was correct, there are few things more deadening to your soul than thinking that your life ultimately means little more than one thing after another.

 

Yet that’s how we often feel. On many days we view our jobs or careers or families as where we have “ended up” in life. But the Bible tells us that the events of our lives make sense because they are part of a much larger story. The struggles of last month or the victories that we may claim in the next few weeks are not simply chance occurrences. They are part of a story line that is going somewhere. The work you do, the people you share life with, the abilities you have, and the weaknesses you struggle with are all part of a collection of elements intended to make for a really good story, the story of you. God’s story of you. Celebrate that with me today. God has great purpose and love for all He has created… that includes each of us!