WHAT A STORY

As a prolific writer, God is much aware of the variety of interests and tastes of His readers. One genre simply would not do. He uses them all. Within the pages of the Bible are found romance, mystery, suspense and horror. There are allegories and myths, fables and folklore. There are also biographies and parables, beautiful poetry and unfathomable proverbs, each a story in themselves. Not to leave anything out, God, in order to satisfy all literary endeavors, includes high drama and heart-wrenching tragedies. Then to act as a balance, He surprises us with satire and comedy, legends and fairy tales all filled with metaphors, analogies and humor.

Within these various stories, God is careful to drop hints about himself. His compelling theme is always to leave the reader with some truth about His nature--His love, compassion and long-suffering for his wayward people. He also leaves something new to think about, a piece of advice, a direction for action, or a guide for living. Regardless of the need of His people, God supplies the answer or solution to that need. In the Bible, all questions have answers, no matter how hidden or difficult to uncover. Answers are there. No one ever leaves the Book without feeling that the Bible was written for him personally. No mistake about it, God wrote the seminal self-help book.

So it is that the Bible is God's book about God and His desire for His people to know Him. He tells the reader over and over again in clear words, in hidden symbols, in unfathomable scenes about Himself. Even when He is impatient with the reader's blindness and reluctance to believe, He stands up and declares, in no uncertain terms, "I AM WHO I AM."

What we will learn, as the Book progresses, is how God does all this, how He works with people, how he forms relationships, how He makes decisions affecting the future and finally how He ends his Story.

Consequently, God doesn't need footnotes or endnotes or even a glossary. He eschews all references, resources and definitions for He is the ultimate source, the first edition. He is the Beginning and the End. But in between that beginning and that ending if found the finest literature of all time, the fountain of wisdom and the greatest story ever told.