The Power of Story

rob

by Rob Campbell

www.cypresscreekchurch.com

Elie Wiesel wrote, “God made man because he loves stories.”

I trust that you know storytellers. They are probably very dear friends to you. As you converse with these individuals, a myriad of stories are meticulously woven through the fabric of your conversation. Typically, sanguine personality types are big storytellers. Storytellers build relationship, cement friendships, and display transparency and vulnerability through the spin of conversation. As you recline on the couches with your friends in your hunting cabin or gather around the table with your family during your annual family reunion, stories will be shared. These vignettes remind us of the past and point us to the future. The swapping of stories fills the pages of God’s Word as well. For example, read closely this story of God’s mighty work recorded in Nehemiah 9:9-12:

You saw the suffering of our forefathers in Egypt; you heard their cry at the Red Sea. You sent miraculous signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his officials and all the people of his land, for you knew how arrogantly the Egyptians treated them. You made a name for yourself, which remains to this day. You divided the sea before them, so that they passed through it on dry ground, but you hurled their pursuers into the depths, like a stone into mighty waters. By day you led them with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire to give them light on the way they were to take.

At the last supper, Jesus stated to his disciples, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). Do you see “the remembering one,” the God-man commanding us to tell his story? Indeed the scriptures are chalked full of stories– God’s most effective means of breaking into our hearts and minds. Larry Crabb wrote “God is telling a story, a story full of life, love, and grace, a story of hating evil and honoring good, a story rich in drama, poetry, and passion. As we see his story told through our lives, we find the courage to handle the inevitable confusion of life. We find the strength to move ahead, to take risks, to relate deeply, because we are caught up in the larger story of God.”

Enjoy the journey. Be captivated by God’s story expressed through the lives of people around the world. But, don’t be content in simply reading stories about God’s activity. GET YOUR OWN STORIES of God’s marvelous work in your own life and church.

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Rob

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