The world is in chaos and heroes are needed to step in and save people from the threatening darkness.
This is literally the story line of every Marvel movie. Ever. From their very first movie released, ‘Iron Man’, to the last, ‘End Game’, we’ll always see that when trouble arises somebody steps in and heroically saves the day. What does Marvel have to do with the Bible or the BSN? Think story line.
It’s in the Story Line
The Bible is an epic story that focuses in on one hero that never leaves the scene. This is YHWH’s* story. We see Him fighting for justice and the restoration of His people even after they completely disregarded Him. From the beginning we see this hero is committed to what He starts even when His own creation deliberately choose to be unfaithful and break trust. But He never gives up. He is constantly moving to restore relationship.
The Bible is an epic story that focuses in on one hero that never leaves the scene.
A New Way of Seeing
I didn’t always see the Bible as something beautiful. I grew up in a Christian home where I saw the Bible as a history of God but unfortunately tended to see it as God trying to enforce rules– plus some confusing stories. People were bad and God told them how to be good. Many stories I misunderstood so I just moved away from them. Reading the Bible left me feeling condemned with a bit of confusion and a list of questions.
It seemed this book was there to only speak to the places I needed to work on. So I came to it with a paper and pen in hand ready to find the places wrong in me instead of to know God and the true reality He was inviting me into. Plus, let’s be real, He seemed rather angry in the beginning pages of this book. With this perspective, I missed God’s heart in every page. I saw His actions, I saw His nature (His omniscience*, His invisibility, His power, His omnipresence*), but, I never really saw His heart behind why He did what He did. But why did I need to know His heart behind His actions if He is just trying to make me a better person?
But why did I need to know His heart behind His actions if He is just trying to make me a better person?
The beginning of Relearning
When I began BSN, my ideas started unraveling as I opened the first page of my Bible and read Genesis chapter 1. That’s when I saw the story begin and more importantly, I saw the main character… YHWH. The story began with beautiful relationship between mankind and God walking in the garden together. But takes a turn when mankind deliberately breaks trust to seek their own way. Thus begins the entire rest of the story of people following their footsteps by breaking away from trust and relationship with the Father to seek their own way. Some arose to trust Him and God made covenants with them with the hopes for restoration to all families of the earth.
I was surprised as I started studying the story to see places that I always thought God was angry replaced with a realization that His heart was deeply grieved because of His love for mankind. Out of this love He took action to set things right in the messiest of circumstances. It was His love that motivated His heart to show mercy and forgive the continual rejection received from mankind and the corruption their own wisdom brought. YHWH tried to teach them how to walk once again in relationship with Him. He taught them how to reveal His heart to others by giving the laws of love (Ten Commandments). Yet still they followed what seemed best in their worldview/understanding.
New Understanding
One night when reading through Jeremiah (God’s message to an unfaithful people), I was undone by the deep emotion being expressed in the text and as I read 3:19,
“I myself said, “‘How gladly would I treat you like my children and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.’ I thought you would call me ‘Father’ and not turn away from following me. But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you, Israel, have been unfaithful to me,” declares the Lord.”
My heart caught up in the story, connected to the emotions displayed within the text and I full on cried. Was that why you, God, were so involved in these peoples lives? The reason you never left despite their heart wrenching decisions? Is this the reason you were involved in my heart breaking decisions throughout my own life? Finally, I was beginning to not only see YHWH’s actions but His heart behind them. Why he does what He does. I was undone by His love.
The Whole Journey
My journey throughout BSN was a tear filled one. I began to see in the pages a powerful God who wanted right relationship with people and wanted to be known and intimately know those He created. YHWH isn’t just a hero, He’s a good Father who loves perfectly. He is the one who is wholeheartedly involved to the point of death on a cross.
YHWH isn’t just a hero, He’s a good Father who loves perfectly.
When I began to realize how I missed seeing God’s character and His love throughout the story, I saw how it even affected how I related to Him in my own life. I was relating out of fear and trying to serve a God who might get mad instead of living in right relationship with a Father who loves me enough to help me grow and who just really loves people.
Moving From Here
Is the Bible on the top of your passion lists? If not maybe it’s time to get to know the story. Let your heart see YHWH, the beautiful one, and let your soul be captured by His heart. I challenge you to get to know why He does what He does in a fresh way. Get to know His character, not just His actions. Get to know the entire story. Not just passages and a couple good verses to put on your coffee mug.
The truth that God wants to be known by us and wants intimacy with us is hands down the best news. To truly know Him we must not study just to become familiar with His actions. We must study to know His heart motives behind those actions.
The truth that God wants to be known by us and wants intimacy with us is hands down the best news.
“…but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD.”Jeremiah 9:24
New Knowledge About an Old Song
You know that popular Sunday School song “Jesus loves me the Bible tells me so”? I finally understood that song after singing it for 17 years of my life. When I saw the whole story the Bible held, I saw a God who never leaves. A God who went so far to redeem mankind’s brokenness that we can live a life of purpose with Him. The good news is the story is not over and I’m a part of it and so are you. His goodness and mercy will follow us all of our days. So yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, YHWH loves me, the Bible tells me so. What an amazing story I get to be apart of and what an amazing God who heroically saved me and I can call Father and friend.
P.S. You should do the BSN.
*YHWH= Yahweh= the holiest name for God
*omniscience= the ability to know everything
*omnipresence= the ability to be in all places at all times
Tiara did her Bible School for the Nations (BSN) in January of 2019. She’s passionate about people knowing who they are in Christ. She’s prophetic and a powerful worshipper. She is someone who walks out in truth and calls it out in others. She loves learning, adventure, making risky style choices and living life to the fullest.