Our story has a place in God’s story, the grandest drama of all

By Dean Collins

I love a good story— in books, in movies and plays, and of course in life. I like to hear good stories, watch good stories, and tell good stories. Some stories are sad, others are humorous. Some are suspenseful and filled with mystery, and some seem more predictable. Our mood, situation, health, and other factors probably determine which stories we want to read, hear, or watch in a given moment.

My son writes screenplays for a living. He has a lot of knowledge and experience in the techniques of writing a script. I don’t have that background, so my judgment about a good story has no technical foundation. Like you, I just know whether I like the story or not. Most of us are not trained to realize what elements of structure are essential in a good story.

A very good story

I started thinking about all of this while reading through the Exodus story. Even those who don’t see value in Scripture are familiar with the story of Moses and the central role he plays in leading the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt and into the promised land. It’s a good story, filled with lots of adventure, grief, humor, tension, and resolution.

As we read Scripture we often take the role of observer, critic, and armchair quarterback. We have the advantage of knowing how things resolve, even when the characters don’t. What caught me as I read the Exodus story this time was that Moses actually knew how the story would end. God basically gave him the script on the front side of the mission. Not every detail but the basic series of events including that the objective of getting the Israelites from Egypt to the promised land would indeed happen.

Concerned about our story

Aren’t we a lot like Moses? We do have the broad outline from God on how things will turn out in the end. Unlike Moses, we even know that the central character of Scripture, Jesus, conquered death. But even as we trust the evidence about the resurrection of Jesus and his victory over death, even as we believe his ultimate plan to return to renew and restore all things, often we act as if we want a detailed script of how everything in our life will turn out.

But here’s the thing. Neither the Biblical characters nor you and I are robots. God allows us to make choices. The combination of your choices and my choices means that life will never be as certain as we want it to be. But that doesn’t change who God is and that he will accomplish his ultimate purpose.

While we live out our lives we also know in advance that there is an enemy who, while already defeated by Jesus, still has the ability to tempt and distract us from God’s purpose and plan for us. We shouldn’t then be surprised when things become difficult. Living with others who also have freedom to make choices in a fallen world that awaits restoration means we can’t possibly know everything that will happen and have the exact script to overcome every challenge.

We can’t possibly know everything that will happen and have the exact script to overcome every challenge.

But the overarching love of God combined with both the promises of Scripture and the guidance of the Holy Spirit can allow us to face every dark day knowing that God will not abandon or reject us. He will, in fact, accomplish his purpose in us for his glory and pleasure and allow us to experience his love, grace, and mercy in abundance.

Our story, and God’s

From Moses to Paul, and now to you and me, God is always present. He is actively working his plan. We are a part of this grand drama. And some improvisation is allowed as we navigate our journey. God is using your story and my story to help and guide others as they navigate their story. Along the way, it’s probably a really good idea to share our stories with each other as we await the ultimate conclusion here and the grand adventure of eternity with Jesus and with each other.

Your time with God’s Word
Exodus‬ ‭3:14-22; Psalm‬ ‭138:8;‬ ‭Romans‬ ‭8:28-30‬; ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1:6 ESV

Photo by Daniel Schludi on Unsplash

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