Our Story
1/10/07

By Ben

I read 2 Chronicles 21-36 (finishing it out).

I felt moved today to finish out what I was reading. With all of the back
and forth of Judah (and Israel) turning their back on God and then
repenting, I just wanted to see where things ended up. I guess I'm anxious
about it all in relation to teaching my confirmation class. We just got to
this section in our curriculum (which glazes over the prophets and poetry
books, and jumps right into the New Testament).

While reading, I am really getting into the story of it. Now, I couldn't
tell you how many kings Judah had in the section that I just read. I could
only give you a few of their names from memory. But I'm starting to piece
the whole story together in my mind. My experience in going through the Old
Testament from start to finish has allowed me to connect the Bible stories
that I heard as a youth into one cohesive story.

Now, I'm sure that at some point, someone tried to get across the idea that
all of these little stories fit together to make one great epic, but I didn'
t really get it. Or if I got it, it didn't matter to me. Which is where my
youth come in. I want them to see how powerful this story is. I want them
to have the realization that all of time has been built together and that
they are a part of these Bible stories. That they actually connect to what
is in these pages that were written so long ago.

Not just because they can get a nice moral out of them. Not just as a
simple bedtime story. But to realize that they are the continuation of that
story. That as we live our lives, we continue to write the story of the
Bible. That makes me want to do something great for God. Not to be
remembered as a good guy, but to further the kingdom. To help the future
generations not fall backward in their faith. It makes me want to be more
for God. I want them to feel that way too.
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