Tracing God's Story: Old TestamentSample

## Introduction Hebrews 4:12 tells us the Bible is living and active. This phenomenon is known as inspiration, which in Latin means to physically breathe into. When God breathed into Adam, he came to life. When you read your Bible, your spirit begins coming to life. The problem is that many Christians don't read the Word. They don't read it because they don't understand it. It can be overwhelming and sometimes doesn't make sense. People don't know how to piece it together, or the image of God that they get when they read it is one they don't like. The first time I decided I wanted to read the Bible cover to cover, I started with the New Testament because that seemed easier. I began with Matthew and worked my way through Revelation. It was just about getting through it. I didn't totally understand what I was reading, but the stories of Jesus were fun, and I loved reading about how He saved me and how we'll be victorious in the end. Then, I started the Old Testament. Genesis was okay, but it went downhill from there. The more I read, the more confused I became. I saw a God who appeared to be a God of judgment and harshness and law and punishment. I didn't understand His justice because I didn't understand His love, and I couldn't figure out how that fit with the New Testament. I got to Jeremiah and stopped. I thought, "I'm not even sure I like this God I'm reading about." So, I quit reading. Years went by before I picked up my Bible again. I think that happens to a lot of us. I think that's a common problem. I believe we need an overall understanding of Scripture and what each book means. We need to know who wrote it, who it was written to, what was happening at that time in history, and where it fits into God's ultimate story. That way, we can understand who God is and His purpose for giving us His Word. Truthfully, if we don't comprehend what we're reading, we won't read it. God has this beautiful, amazing story for us, this guide to life. As you open it, He begins to speak to you and show you great and mighty things. He speaks to your spirit, and beautiful, amazing things happen as you begin coming to life. I want to go on this journey with you. My goal is to help you learn the basics, God's fundamental story. Once you have that, it will build the foundation of your faith; it will show you who God is, what His character is like, what Jesus did for you, and how He will be victorious. Once you have that basic foundation, you can go back and dig in deeper; things will begin fitting together, and you'll be able to comprehend what you are studying much more effectively. You are going to grow so much deeper in your relationship with Him. I cannot wait, so let's get started.