More than a story

I'm remembering a story in the book of Daniel. I don't want to recount the whole story. I'm also remembering some song lyrics - "I grew up in Sunday school, I memorized the Golden Rule and how Jesus came to set the sinners free... I know the stories inside out, I can tell you all about the path that led Him on to Calvary. - But ask me why he loves me and I don't know what to say...but I'll never be the same because He changed my life when He became everything to me - more than a story' . " Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ywzlq2AiAuM
Avalon - Everything to Me.
The Bible used to seem like a book of stories to me - kinda more like ideas or representations of what God would want to say to us. I didn't see it as a whole - thing. I saw it as little pieces. I jumped in to read a little here and jumped out when it didn't make sense or seem relevant. I could see and even get some "good" out of the "stories" but I didn't experience the word of God as I do now. It's like kinda getting the theory of the four stroke engine with out moving forward (or backwards into the development) to the next part - the "So what?" part. That simple engine powers something - eventually engines became more complex - or less complex depending on how you think about it - at any rate engines have become more specialized/efficient at providing what they provide.
That story in Daniel about the three Hebrews who were put in the fiery furnace - it's an interesting story - complex, rich. The part I am thinking about as I sit here tonight trying to get warm is this: The Angel of the Lord was seen in in the flames with the three Hebrews. King Nebuchadnezzar gave the order for the three to be released from the fire. The story says that the furnace was so hot that the guard who tossed them in, in the first place, was burnt up by the heat. When the three came out of the flames, the story says their clothes weren't singed...it says they didn't even smell like smoke. I love that. Beth Moore's Bible study on Daniel is riveting - yeah - it really is. She made the observation that the Bible says that these guys didn't even smell like smoke. She says when we go through trials - hardships - pain -we like surviving the trauma but we at least want to hold on to that smell of smoke ... . We want everyone to know what we've been through.
I like it that God showed up in the fire. I like it that the ropes the servants of God were bound with were burnt off in the flames. I love it that when they came out they didn't even smell like smoke.

I love it that we don't have to smell like smoke either.