God's Backstory

Each of us has a story to tell about who we are. Some may feel their story is more exciting than others. But regardless of the wow factor that comes with our story…we have one. The more a person knows about our backstory, the more they are actually getting a full picture of who we are. However, there is a level of vulnerability that comes with being fully known. People see our struggles, our failures, our embarrassing moments. But what if you were God? What would your backstory look like?

We are given a deep glimpse into who God is by reading His backstory. From man’s first introduction to God back in Genesis to the seriousness of God in situations like the world flood, the captivity, and even the silence, or the times He powerfully delivered Israel from Egyptian slavery or provided for them in the wilderness, or when He used foreign kings to bless them in various ways. All of these events help shape the character of God.

Romans 1:19-21, “They [mankind] know the truth about God because He has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship Him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like…”

This is where Christ comes in. Hebrews 1:3 reminds us, “The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and He sustains everything by the mighty power of His command. When He had cleansed us from our sins, He sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.”

Jesus was the plan of God to reveal Himself through His own life on earth through His son. Just as Ephesians 1:4-5 says, “Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.”

Therefore, Jesus’ arrival on earth is better appreciated when we know and understand the backstory of God’s effort to break through our hard hearts to reveal God’s desire for His creation. This Christmas as we celebrate the giving season and a time during which many reflect on the birth of the Messiah–Jesus Christ, try to spend some time reflecting on all the characteristics of God that demonstrate His love for mankind.