This weekend, the family went to see Jack the Giant Slayer. It was a fun movie as it retold and embellished the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. In the movie (I won’t give it all away), the king and kingdom are faced with the reality of the giants who had only become a theme in bedtime stories. One of the soldiers, just before encountering the giants says something like, “Be ready men, it looks like all those stories your parents told you are true!”
That thought struck my mind as I reflected on my preaching topics for the next several weeks through the end of the book of Revelation. Last Sunday we looked at the 2 great suppers at the end of the Tribulation (Rev. 19). These are the wedding feast and the great supper of God. One is a celebration the other an act of judgment. Next week we’re looking at the establishment of the millennial kingdom of Christ. Then we will try to understand the judgment of Satan and sin and finally a look at the eternal kingdom.
For a lot of us, these and other Bible stories have become quaint stories that encourage and challenge. But, what will be our reaction if and when we find them to be true? Will we be surprised? Will we be scared? Will we have regret? Will we be encouraged?
And then as we enter our forever life and we encounter saints like Joshua, Moses, Isaiah and Noah, what will our reaction be when we find out it was all true?
Faith is believing what we do not yet see. As disciples of Jesus, we follow Jesus today because we know it is true. The rest of the world may enjoy some of these stories because they teach values and morals. But we value these stories because they reveal real interactions between God and real people. This gives us confidence today as we interact with God. And it gives us hope that one day, the final battle will be won and we will know with our eyes and ears that what we knew with our faith was real.
What in the Bible do you have a hard time believing? What do you think your reaction will be when you find out it’s real?
As you think about God’s stories, “Be ready men and women, the stories the Bible has taught you are true!”