When I turned forty last December, my parents thought it was a good time to return all my childhood photos to me. But what they did was return them in beautiful album form. Pages and pages, lovingly created to showcase everything from my baby pictures to awkward junior high moments through high school dances and on to college. So many memories came flooding back through their incredible gift to me.

I’ve also been working on a photo album of our extended family. Both of my husband’s parents have passed away, and we feel a strong desire to help our son know them even though they aren’t here to participate in his life. We’ll bring them into his world through photos and stories and reliving memories to try to create an accurate picture of their lives and their contribution to his life, even though he can’t see them. It is so important to us that our son knows his heritage and the family on his father’s side.

And this is important to me as a believer as well—that I know my heritage and the family on my Father’s side. What is the Bible if it isn’t God’s photo album? It’s a book full of our heritage, with pictures of the infinite love, mercy, favor, and goodwill shown to humankind by God. So often we just reduce the Bible to some set of principles, or we focus only on its doctrine—but it’s a beautiful album featuring living pictures of God’s grace. I learn so much about who he is and what he is about by studying his album.

If we take some time to flip through the pages, we can see some of the photos:

Like in the book of Genesis, where we find Noah building an ark on his front lawn, much to the chagrin of his neighbors . . . a picture of the peace that God wanted to offer to mankind.

And then, a few chapters later, we see the joyful picture of God giving Sarah a child called Laughter when she was ninety years old.

In Luke 15, we find a picture of a prodigal son that gives us a glimpse of the loving heart of God.

Then we see the woman caught in adultery about to be stoned. What a portrait of grace—the way Christ stands between us and our accusers.

And then we see the woman with the issue of blood—remember how she just tried to touch the hem of his garment without anyone seeing her? What a picture of his gentle healing.

What about the time Jesus was in the temple and he healed a man with a withered hand—showing us how to go against the Pharisees when their religion had replaced their love? All four Gospels give us the picture of Jesus feeding of the five thousand—teaching us of his multiplication and constant provision.

And one of the greatest pictures of grace comes in the empty tomb, giving us the hope of the life eternal that he promised.

The pages go on and on. The stories, the snapshots of God’s grace. This is how we come to know of God and his love for us, through pictures of all he has done. Before the first Bible was printed, these word pictures were the only way people could learn about God. In fact, stained-glass windows in cathedrals were designed with images that represented the life and work of Christ, created to tell the gospel story so people could see it.

Pictures and photo albums are powerful tools. Photographs have a way of getting into our minds and sticking there like little Post-it notes in our brains. Marriage experts have reported that couples who keep photo albums of their memories have healthier relationships and are actually less likely to divorce. I wonder if that’s because they spend more time remembering and reflecting on their history together and relishing the great moments. They keep falling in love all over again.

Flipping through the pages of God’s Word when we see it as his photo album of grace is much the same thing. As we turn the pages, we remember the amazing things he’s done, and our relationship with him grows and deepens. We remember and reflect on our history with him, and we relish the great moments. We see clearly his faithfulness and his provision for us, and we love and trust him all over again.

Many people keep a journal of some sort to record their prayer requests as well as the answers they receive. It’s a very personal way to flip through the pages of your history to see God’s grace and remember his faithfulness. It’s so easy to forget or take for granted all that he has done. I am always humbled and grateful when I look back through my journal.

One day, I’ll look back on my son’s first photo album that I’m creating and I’ll marvel at how far he’s come. I’ll remember these days of not sleeping, and I will thank God for getting us through. Then I’ll open the other albums and show our son pictures of the grandparents he won’t have the privilege to know. But I’ll tell him stories about them so he can understand who they are and what they mean to us.

And right along with it, I’ll open God’s photo album. I’ll point to the photos of grace and help him come to understand who God is and what he means to us and, most importantly, who God can be in his life.