God’s Epic Story

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. I'm Wyn Collier and I wrote today's piece, God's Epic Story.

Life magazine's July 12, 1968 cover displayed a horrifying photograph of starving children from Biafra in Nigeria during a civil war. A young boy, distressed, took a copy of the magazine to a pastor and asked, Does God know about this? The pastor replied, I know you don't understand, but yes, God knows about that. The boy walked out declaring he was uninterested in such a God.

These questions disturb not only children, but all of us. Alongside an affirmation of God's mysterious knowledge, I wish that boy had heard about the epic story God is continuing to write, even in places like the former nation of Biafra. Jesus unfolded this story for his followers, those who assumed he would shield them from hardship. Christ told them instead that in this world you will have trouble. What Jesus did offer, however, was his promise that these evils weren't the end. In fact, he'd already overcome the world. And in God's final chapter, every injustice will be undone, every suffering healed. Genesis to Revelation recounts the story of God destroying every unthinkable evil, making every wrong right.

The story presents the loving one whose interest in us is unquestioned. Jesus said to his disciples, I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. May we rest in his peace and presence today.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from John chapter 16, verses 25 to 33. Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language, but will tell you plainly about my Father. In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf.

No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father. Then Jesus' disciples said, Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God. Do you now believe? Jesus replied, A time is coming, and in fact has come, when you will be scattered, each to your own home.

You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world. Let's pray. Dear God, it's hard for us to see how you'll write all the evils. But we trust that you'll do it. We trust that you have and will overcome the world. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.