I’ve always found it fascinating that the Bible is, at its core, one big story—not an instruction manual.
So often, we just want an instruction manual. We want God to tell us exactly what to do—how to run our churches, how to vote, what holidays we can celebrate (yes, I’m looking at you, Halloween), what we should or shouldn’t watch or listen to. Wouldn’t that make life so much easier? Just tell us the rules so we can be the “good Christians” we’re trying to be.
But that’s not how God chose to speak to us. The Bible isn’t a list of dos and don’ts—it’s a story.
If you homeschool, or know anyone who does, you know how powerful good stories can be. Stories shape hearts in ways that information alone never can. Maybe that’s why art, movies, and music are such powerful forces in our culture—because facts can inform us, but stories transform us.
In the hands of the Master Storyteller, truth is never just fact—it is a Person.
Facts tell us what happened, yet a story goes further—it helps us understand why it matters. Facts can reach the mind, but story reaches the heart by giving perspective, emotion, and meaning to events. That’s why we remember stories long after we forget the information—because story doesn’t just present the facts, it invites us to enter them and be changed by them.
Many say that the Bible is the greatest story every told. It’s a story of good versus evil. It’s also a story of love—romance, family, friendship, sacrifice. Every story we’ve ever heard echoes pieces of this one, because all good stories trace back to the Author of life Himself.
So why did God choose to reveal His truth through story instead of a manual?
Because stories don’t just fill our minds—they stir our hearts.
If God had simply left us a list of directions, we wouldn’t need to seek His presence or know His voice. But God wants more than our compliance—He wants relationship. He wants to be with us.
That’s why Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Abide in Me.” And Paul reminds us, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
Presence is what builds relationship. If you’re a parent—or if you think about your own parents—you know this well. You can give your children all the rules, provide for their needs, even shower them with gifts, but what truly strengthens the bond of love is time spent together.
That’s what Jesus promised before He ascended: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” He sent His Spirit to live within every believer so that His presence would never leave us.
So the question for us is—are we making space for His presence each day? Are we opening our hearts and allowing His Spirit to shape our thoughts, our choices, our desires? As we walk with Him, we begin to know Him, and as we know Him, we begin to love Him. The more we love Him, the more we walk in Truth.
In the hands of the Master Storyteller, truth is never just fact—it is a Person. Talk about bringing a story to life! Jesus said He is the way, the life, and the Truth. Truth is not an abstract idea to grasp, relative, or subjective. It is not something we can decide for ourselves. Truth is a Person—Jesus—who is real, good, and lasting. As our relationship with Him grows, we don’t just learn about Him—we begin to walk in His story.
It’s like a marriage—love deepens through relationship. You cannot love someone you don’t know. Have you ever noticed how couples who have been married for decades start to resemble one another? They think alike, move alike, even finish each other’s sentences. That is what sanctification looks like—growing in relationship with God until we begin to reflect His holy character.
And as love grows, so does our understanding of truth… and obedience flows naturally from that love. Because Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
