“Storytelling Journey”


BIBLE READING: Romans 4-8

Recently, the movie was released, Avengers: Endgame.  If you are not a superhero fan, you probably could not care less.  If you are, you realize that this was a movie that was 10 years in the making.  There were 21 other movies that led up to this movie.  However, when you watched the other 21 movies, you had no idea that they were leading up to such a huge finale.  But, seeing all of them and looking back at the previous movies, one realizes that there were little hints and tidbits in each of the other 21 movies that would come to light and make a whole lot more sense once you saw the ultimate ending movie of this storytelling journey.
God’s Word is like this in a way.  For thousands of years, there were prophecies, and foreshadowing of what was to come, but now we are fortunate to look back and see the entire story unfold.  We see how significant it was when God said, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing” to Abram in Genesis 12:2.  We understand that He wasn’t specifically referring to animal sacrifices in Leviticus 17:11: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the alter to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.”  Looking back, we understand the principle of why God’s Son had to die to redeem us from our sins.  This is the though I have when re-reading Romans chapters 4-8.  We have the explanation of what the law did, but we also begin to see why Jesus was sacrificed on the cross, and how important the love of God is.  We are truly fortunate to be able to look back and see the entire picture.  I’m amazed at the strength of the faith of those who could not.  How wonderful their examples are!


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