When most people read the Bible, they see nothing but stories. A collection of fantastic stories with an amazing plot in the best scenario that involves and evolves around a group of characters and their regular reach out and abandonment of a God.
Some people in the other hand, read the Bible and see so much more, they see a story about creation, providence, love, struggles and God’s constant reaching out to His beloved creatures to save them from harm despite many times of being rejected by them.

What makes the difference in what you see when you read?
Simple.
Love. God’s love.

Let me explain, When I was younger I really struggled to see that when I read the Bible. Sometimes, I could only see a God punishing people for what they have done wrong, and yes, the stories where interesting, but I never saw the need of reaching out to a God that didn’t seem very lovely to me, but very prone to punish instead, thus not very lovable.

But once you truly get to know Him, once you allow yourself to truly experience Him and His love, then you can see the bigger picture, and everything changes. You understand the same words you read before from a very different angle. One where every single thing is impregnated with His essence. His love.

When I read the story of creation, and the fall. Right after Adam and Eve disobeyed, I tended to see only the banishment of Eden as a punishment alone (completely just, but a punishment still). I tended to see only what it meant for us and how much disgrace we are experiencing by consequence of that event. I tended to see only the human side of the story, all the grief, all the tears, and all the pain that would come after, and how we would definitely would be better if that event had happened just a little different. Only a little change in Adam and Eve’s resolution not do disobey and, oh, how extraordinary things would be now. I never thought about the God side of the story. What it meant for Him.

When I read those verses, as they speak of Adam and Eve hiding from God after they heard Him in the garden, I read about a question. Where are you? – God asked.
Before, I used to read this as an angry Father looking for their children to punish them, and ask them about what they had done. But that’s not the things he asked. He only asked: Where are you?
Didn’t God know where they were? Isn’t He Almighty and All-knowing? Of course He knew that, He wasn’t asking for their geographical position for sure.
Now, when I read that same question, I don’t see an angry God looking for the transgressor. I see an amazingly loving Father asking His children with a broken heart and tears in His eyes: Adam… Eve… Why are you not here with me? Why are you away?

They were not supposed to be afraid of God, they were created to enjoy and be in His company for all eternity. So, when He saw that they were not running towards Him but away from Him instead, He knew something had changed, something was broken, and that something had forever changed. I can’t imagine how terribly sad it must have been for Him. To see His beloved creatures separated from Him, the source of life, and drifting away condemned to die away from Him.
That is why, that amazingly-loving Father, would tell them about redemption, even before He talked about punishment, He talked to them about the Savior, about a promise that He would take care of it. He is Holy and Just, so He knew that consequences could never be avoided, but in His great love, our Father already with His heart broken would allow to have His heart broken all over again, when His own Son, would be sacrificed to save those He loved so much.

That’s the God I see, That’s the God I serve. A God who always take extraordinary measures and goes way beyond what is expected to give us life, and to reach us, and embrace us, with the hope that we accept His invitation and get to be reunited with Him forever and enjoy that which should have never been lost. Him.

In this dying world, He has given us hope, and a purpose, He wants us to love Him back share the amazing truth about His love to those who are away from Him. To all those who still don’t know what He is truly like.
If He was willing and did went through extraordinary distances/measures/actions to reach us. Shouldn’t we be willing to love Him back and also follow His example and do the same thing to show His love and reach others?

Again, I ask you: When you read the Bible, what do you see? Do you see a loving Father?
And another question, When He looks into your heart, what does He sees?

When he comes back for us, what will you see? Will you seek His presence? or just like Adam and Eve will you hide from Him?
But more important…
What will He see?

Will He be able to tell you: Well done?

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