Pulling back the curtain and imagining the backstory of scripture made a huge difference in understanding life for this author. Have you tried to read the Bible and couldn't get past Genesis or maybe Exodus? Arla Caraboolad is a family-systems therapist who had struggled with the picture of God shown in certain passages of scripture until she began to see them from a larger perspective--a universal war between good and evil, where the key players are breathed into real beings. Once she begin to understand that our lives are set in a war where we are the battlefield, that most of the Biblical writers only hinted at, everything began to look different. Her training as a mental health, family-systems therapist was very helpful. With that backdrop she has brought the Bible stories to life for adults, the characters fleshed out as someone you can relate to. In this episode, you will meet Jacob who, as the book opens, is running for his life from his brother who has threatened him. He lives under a cloud of failure, because of not being strong enough to stand up to his mother. His shame causes others to take advantage of him, but God comes through again and again. He is so favored by God, but so harassed by God's enemies, and his compliant, easy-going nature often makes him an easy target. But even though he expects the worst and his suffering is keen, God's faithfulness shines through all of it as the definite winner of this man's war. If you need encouragement read how God comes through again and again, even when the battle seems lost.