I was recently touched/amazed/convicted by something that I heard said by a missionary. Every month, at church, we have a “Missions Lunch”. During this time we hear from or about missionaries that are serving from our church, ways we can help, or prayer needs that they have. This past month a wonderful family came and spoke about their work with an Unreached People Group in Turkey. While sharing about the few Christians who live in the area in which they serve, they told one man’s story and how he came to know Christ. The man sat down on a park bench one day and someone had left a Bible there. He picked it up and started to read it. He was so gripped by the Word that he couldn’t put it down. He knew, just after a short time reading the Word, that he HAD to have a relationship with Christ. He believed what the Word said, repented, and his life has never been the same since.
I immediately teared up when I heard this. Right now Mike and I have about 25 Bibles in our house. There are many days where I get “too busy” to pick my Bible up and read it. And, all too often, the days that I do sit down to read my Bible I am distracted and think about what I have going on that day. After about 30 minutes (you know enough time to make my conscience feel all good and like I’ve checked something off of a list) I put it down and move on with my day. Hearing this man’s story left me feeling so convicted. When is the last time I have sat down and have become completely engrossed in the Word, like the Turkish man did? How often am I really using the time that I read scripture as a time to truly open myself up for the Lord to change me, rather than crossing something off of my list? I just kept thinking about how amazing it was that the Bible the man came across was so rare. That he was an adult and had never come in contact with the Word. (I won’t even go into what all the Lord has been teaching me about reaching people who have never heard of Him before – that’s for another post) We live in a culture that has become so insensitive to the Word. We not only have Bibles available in tons of stores, you can find free ones in hotels and many of us probably have about 10 of those little green Gideon Bibles in our house right now. We use vinyl letters to put scripture on our walls. We can go to any Christian bookstore and get a painting, crocheted pillow, blanket, tissue box cover, plate, license plate cover, stickers,…(I think you get the point) with Scripture on it. Now don’t get my wrong, I am not saying that any of those things are wrong. I like a lot of them (the tissue box cover – not so much). I’m just saying that I realized I have let The Bible become too commonplace in my life. I long to be like that Turkish man. I want to be just as moved as he was EVERY time I open the Word.
I loved everything that the missionaries from Turkey had to share. Please be praying for them and for the people they are working with. If you want more information about what they are doing let me know and I’ll e-mail you the info. (I’m not sure what can be shared publicly.)
