The "WOW" factor

I heard a preacher say recently that while history is a great subject to study and can teach us a lot, it often takes away the "wow" factor. See when we know how a story ends because it happened in the past, we don't take time to consider how those people might have felt not already knowing how things were going to turn out. Take, for instance, the signing of the Declaration of Independence. That was a very dangerous move for the early Americans to make. They were technically committing treason. (I got that from National Treasure...:)) They would have suffered great consequences had they lost the Revolutionary war. Obviously, things turned out in our favor but they didn't know that it would back then. How brave they must have been! They knew what needed to be done and they did it. (Our country could use some more people like that instead of a bunch of pansies who are too comfortable and apathetic to do anything!....anyways...)
Knowing how a Bible "story" turns out, too often robs us of the "wow" as well. We know how the story of Noah turns out... they get on the boat, it rained, everyone died, Noah was saved. But can you imagine being Noah... God tells you to build this huge boat. It has never rained before but water is going to fall from the sky... so much water that the entire earth is going to be covered and everyone else on earth will die! WOW! That's just all there is to say. Can you imagine seeing the first rainbow?!
Put yourself in the shoes of Adam and Eve, being thrown out of the garden. Life changed forever that day. Imagine that you are Daniel, sitting in a pit filled with lions. I don't even like to go near a growling dog, I can't imagine being surrounded by hungry lions. He didn't know, like we do that God would shut up their mouths. Think of Mary as she heard the angel tell her that she was with child when she was a virgin, and that this child was God's son... the savior of the world! She was a real person. She had to tell her friends and family she was pregnant. She had to deal with what people may have thought of her. She had to wonder what Joseph would think. And yet, she said some amazing words..."Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to THY will". She didn't know all the details of what God's will would be for her and for her son, but she still surrendered. WOW!
Paul and Silas really existed too. They were beaten and bloody and sat in a cold dark dungeon and what would you hear coming from the prison cell? Was it complaining? No. Singing and praising God. Could I do that? I'm not sure I could, knowing myself. I grumble rather than glorify over less than being beaten and thrown in jail. But those men really did that! I think we forget sometimes that these things really happened.
Moses must have been awe struck at a voice coming out of a burning bush.
One story that is really amazing is of Elijah calling down the fire on Mt.Carmel. If you really think about what it would be like to be one of those standing around when that fire fell...WOW! It helped me to understand how amazing this was and how big of a God we have when I taught this lesson to kids. It is amazing to them and it should be to us too.
This concept has changed the way I read the Bible. It really brings things into perspective and helps me realize just how amazing God is. It also makes the examples in the Bible even greater because they didn't know all the details that I do but they still obeyed God. I know how God came through in all those amazing ways and I still have trouble trusting Him.
So keep the "wow" factor when you read about history or the Bible.