Contributed by Echo Hill Porterfield
We are thankful to live in a country that allows us freedoms, one of those being that we are able to own Bibles, yes, plural. How many of us have more than one? More than three? Probably many of us. I know I’ve got one in just about all the translations I find intriguing.
That being said, I thought the month of November would be a good month to highlight missions, Bibles and the translation work that is currently happening.
Can you imagine for a moment what it would be like to have never read a single Bible verse? Never having seen the words of Jesus with your very own eyes? Never sounded the words of God out and felt them slip off the tip of your tongue?
I try to imagine and fail miserably as I’m one of the many United States babies that have lived a blessed life filled with the syllables, stories and poems from the Bible poured out over me as if it was living oil being poured over my head.
John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believeth in him shall have everlasting life” was my first Bible verse I ever memorized.
Psalm 61 is the passage I’ve turned to upon every fear trying to conquer my brain. Like a blazing light, John 1:5 exploded into my life, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Proverbs 3:5-6 is the bedrock upon which I stand, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, lean not on thine own understanding. Acknowledge him all thy ways and he shall direct thy path.” I’ve quoted these verses and many more, backwards and forwards like a mantra in the darkest of nights.
The word of God floats through my mind on a continuous loop and surrounds me like the warmest blanket on the coldest of days. When I’m feeling blue, pouring over with sadness, soaking in grief, or melancholy for days, the Word of God is as alive as a flaming sword pushing back the darkness.
So, then, can you imagine not being able to read your Bible? Can you imagine if the Bibles you owned turned to ash? If your eyes became milky with blindness and you could no longer soak in the goodness of the Word? If the words we hold so dear to us were no longer penned in letters, words, lines and paragraphs that we could read and understand? If our language dried up and disappeared and his words unreachable? What if all we could ever taste was described to us but we were never able place the goodness upon our own tongue, our taste buds never truly tasting anything but a memory?
Maybe I can imagine it, not being able to taste and see, ask questions and get answers, find hope and grace and light and love…
Places all over the globe are stuck hearing about, but never being able to taste and see the sweet words of God written in their language. These people exist in the jungles, the mountains, the deserts, the hills, the ravines of the world, yearning for the truth that will set them free. Yearning for him, they have lain trapped under the heavy weight of darkness that sucks as it were the very marrow from their bones cowering in abject fear of demonic spirits but hoping for him. Waiting for light.
Often these people upon hearing about Jesus, want to know, “How long have you had God’s talk? Why did you wait so long to bring it to me, to us?” Where have we been? Why haven’t we proclaimed so loudly that the very earth quaked beneath our feet? That he is Lord, that God is real, true, all knowing, all powerful and that it is he who holds us, that “Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands…” Isaiah 49:16
There are missionaries at this moment, actively translating the word of God into their languages… So that they may taste, know, see and live. So that they may at last read with their own eyes and hold in their own hands the words of God. “Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” Psalm 34:8
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”
Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:8
I stand in awe at the number of Bibles I order and bring into the shop. Every time a Bible is picked up and purchased, I am truly amazed. When I imprint a Bible, I breathe a prayer for the person receiving this flaming sword of power.
For words have power. So. Much. Power. And his words. Move over mountains.
I am grateful to be an American, even in the most tumultuous of times, I will always be grateful for being born on red, white and blue soil. Always. We are blessed to overflowing. So, so blessed.
Every night, we pray for continued freedom, that our nation will continue to stand, be a beacon and send out the word of the Lord, send out the messengers bearing the weight, glory and beauty of searching for truth, for lost souls around the globe.
“In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.” John 1:1
This Thanksgiving, we are taking on a special project. The Kalanguya people in the mountains of the Philippines are about to receive their first complete Bible in their own language after many years of language learning and translation work. The cost of printing is about $10 per copy. Would you join us in contributing to this worthy cause?
We walk in faith. We believe we can because of him. This month and through December, we hope that you will join us in our grateful, thankful benediction to the one who loves us best. Join us in helping the Kalanguya people. Let’s get Bibles into their hands!
For more information on our donation, please visit our website: https://ablacksheepshop.com/
