In case you don’t know me very well, here’s something I should clue you in on: I always compare my life to movies & TV shows. Any time I see one, I immediately try to see how it fits with my life; and most of the time, I make them match up perfectly. The sad thing is, I don’t usually do this same thing when reading the Bible. It’s shameful, really, but sometimes when reading through the Old Testament especially, I can become detached from the story. Maybe it’s because I’ve read it so many times, or maybe because it seems so far removed from my reality. And yet, this is the one story that I should actually invest my life in, because it actually involves me.

Read with me from the book of Exodus, will you?

“I am the Lord and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be My people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” Exodus 6:6-7 [emp. mine]

Now, I know that the human love story with God starts earlier than Moses. I know that God loved the world before the world began. I know I’m picking up the love story a little late, but I feel like this a key moment. You see, at this point in the story, God is promising His never-ending loyalty to His people. He is promising to be their strength and deliverer. He is promising to bring them out from under their burdens. He is promising to hold them with an outstretched arm (and as a bit of a “spoiler”….He will outstretch those arms to the point of death).

Were this a movie, it would be the part of the story that makes you fall in love with the main character. You know what I’m talking about: The guy/girl does something so sweet, amazing, precious, endearing, incredible, [insert any other word that means awesome] and you immediately want that character to end up with their perfect person. Here’s the thing about this story: God is THE main character, but guess what? We’re the ones He ends up with in the end. We’re the ones He chooses forever. We’re the ones He saves.

Ah, being ‘saved’. The movie concept is so glamorous and heroic, isn’t it? The movie depiction is always so inspiring and dramatic. Fortunately for us, though, this isn’t just some movie-magic that we’re dealing with. No, no! Our story is real. We were saved from something far worse than a monster or villain or physical death! Instead, we were saved from eternal damnation by a sinless man who willingly gave up His life so that we could live.

If this were a movie, it would seem to be a tragedy, in that the main character dies. Thankfully, the “movie” doesn’t end there! The main character (Jesus) who died for His bride (the church) was resurrected! He lives on! And not so that He could have an earthly existence with His beloved, but that He could live in eternity with His chosen ones.

What a remarkable movie this would make! The main character wins (conquers death)! He gets the girl (His bride)! They live happily ever after (forever and ever and ever…)!

The Bible–the story of God’s chosen people– is truly the greatest story ever told. Why? Because it really isn’t a “story” at all….it’s real. It’s our actual life; it’s the Christian’s actual promise: heaven with our Savior.