Story Introduction 1: History's story is your story, too

He is ancient history. He was president before I was even born. Yet, I found myself fascinated this summer at President Truman’s library and home. Here was a common man who had worked the soil, never went to college, and who lived in a home that many of us could afford today. He became president in a time of war. He is most remembered for his command to drop an atomic bomb that saved over a million lives and ended the war. I found myself amazed at his story because I could see, almost sixty years later, the impact that this man had on our country. Decisions that he made still have repercussions for our nation today. 


The bible is often seen as ancient history. Why should I care about what happened to the Jews 3000 or 4000 years ago? Abraham, David and the others are long gone. The truth is that like Truman, we can learn from their stories and see lessons that will improve our story. Abraham can teach us the cost of a lie and the power of faith. David can teach us about adultery and about courage. As we get past the veneer and see the flesh and blood of these people, we will see that they have a lot in common with us. We will learn about how they wrestled with life and how they won by faith.  

History can help us  see God’s impact on their lives and the impact that God can have on our lives. We will see that being a Christian is not just about going to heaven or hell, but about life itself. It is about living with a God who can make life for us better than anyone ever deserved. We will see how faith brings a little of heaven into the hell days of this life. The Bible is not ancient history; it is God’s story and shows how He connects with people even today. 

I have learned a lot about myself at each of the presidential libraries that I have visited. People like Lincoln, FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, Johnson, and Bush Senior each represent a piece of American history that is more real for me than it ever was before. At their libraries, you see the flesh and blood men who changed the nation and the world. You learn from their triumphs and are warned by their mistakes. The same is true about the bible characters. These are real people who will teach you a lot about success and failure. Make time to hear their stories so that they become flesh and blood people for you. Their stories help all of us see how God works to help us thrive as we emulate their victories and avoid their blunders.