It's interesting to read the Bible with a "panned out" view and to be able to see the over-arching theme, the beginning of a story and the end. But it's an entirely different experience when you enter into the story. Know what the characters know. Feel what they feel. When you actually hit the zoom button and become engaged with the circumstances, the story becomes more real.
Both points of view are important. We just need to figure out when to "pan out" and when to "zoom in".
This morning, I was reading the story of the mass exodus the Israelites made from Egypt. Everything from the Passover to the hardening of Pharaoh's heart to the Red Sea just kept me thinking, "God....you're so random!"
What would you do if God told you to kill poor little Lambchop and spread his blood over your door? And because you did that you would be spared...? Random!
Or how would you handle the fact that God just allowed for you to be free from your captivity and now he has you trapped between an angry Egyptian army and a big Red Sea? With a zoomed in view you can "feel" the stress and uncertainty of that situation.
Now begin to pan back and see what happens. Israel is saved and God is glorified. Cool Verse Here
Sorry to ruin it for you. But looking at the story as a whole, you're able to see why God did what He did.
You see that the details that seemed random...weren't.
It was all purposeful. It was all part of a bigger plan.
Right now, you may have a "zoomed in" view of your own unfolding story.
Things and details may not make sense to you.
But what a story like this teaches us is that God is doing something. Something that we may not see because our viewpoint is so limited.
But He is also providing us with what we need for every situation.Another cool verse. There may be trials, blessings, people, or situations in your life that seem random up close.
But maybe they're not random.
Maybe they're what you need and if you could only pan back, you might see why.
