Week Three: Day Three - "Seeing God As The Hero Of The Stories"

There was a popular song that I learned as a child and later taught to my children. Many of you may remember it as well, the lyrics read;

            Only a boy named David, only a little sling,

            Only a boy named David, but he could pray and sing,

            Only a boy named David, only a rippling brook,

            Only a boy named David, but five little stones he took.

            And one little stone went into the sling, and the sling went round and round,

            And one little stone went into the sling, and the sling went round and round,

            And round and round, and round and round, and round and round and round,

            And one little stone went up in the air, and the giant came tumbling down.

At first glance, this song seems like a great way to teach a wonderful Bible story to children, but I want you to read through the lyrics again and answer the following questions;

            1. Who is the Hero of this story? (Hint: The only correct answer is God)

            2. How did David accomplish his victory?  (You guessed it... God)

            3. Who should get the credit for David’s victory?  (Still... God)

Upon further inspection, this song commits a tremendous blunder... IT LEAVE’S GOD OUT OF THE STORY!!! God is not even mentioned! That, my friends, is no small mistake! It is an epic failure of Biblical proportions!

            Eugene Peterson stated, “We have short attention spans. Having been introduced to God, we soon lose interest in God and become preoccupied with ourselves.” He is making the point that the Bible is so much more than just a self-help book and it should not be read with the primary intention of motivation or personal gain. The Bible is primarily the story of God. It is all about Him! All of History is “HIS-STORY”. God is the hero and central figure of every story in the Bible and we must keep the focus on Him as we read.

           

•  Read 1 Kings 18:20-40 and list some ways God is shown to be the hero of the story;

•  1 Samuel 17 tells the story of David and Goliath. Read verses 45-47 and list the statements that make God the central figure (hero) in the battle.

•  Answer this question honestly, “Is God the central figure of my story?”

•  How would our daily decisions be altered if God was the focus of our everyday life?

•  Do you ever get tired of trying to be the hero? ___________   *GOOD NEWS...... you can stop! That’s God’s job! (And he’s real good at it!)