For one in five people worldwide, the Bible is locked away in an unfamiliar language. Christine from the DRC gave her only cow to help translate God’s word for her community. Her generosity reminds us to treasure and share the sweetness of Scripture that we can so easily access.
My mum’s fridge is covered in Bible verses. I know this, because when I visit her, I’m always nipping into her fridge to eat something sweet! Unfortunately, they don’t stop me in my tracks and make me consider my cravings, rather they tend to blur in the background.
God’s words in the Bible are many things. They’re often seen as a guide – a map for navigating life from the creator of the universe – as well as a light through dark times. But they’re also sweet. Sweet in the way that satisfies the longing of our hearts far better than the snacks in the fridge dull my cravings.
I remember sharing sweet snacks with friends in the playground and saving up to buy them as a kid, because the moment of taste was always worth it. You can’t put a price on that kind of happiness, even if the corner shop tried! In this country, we have such easy access to the Bible that it’s hard to imagine having to put a price on it. But how much is it worth? Certainly more than the price printed on the back.
Yet did you know that for one in five people around the world, God’s word is still trapped in a language they can’t understand?
I was challenged recently by an amazing act of generosity by a lady called Christine, from an isolated community in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Christine’s community have never had a Bible in their own language and instead struggle to understand a text that is foreign to them. Local translators have begun working to unlock God’s words for Hema speakers like her, but the church wanted to help fund the translation work too, even though most people in the DRC live on less than £2 a day. At the church fundraiser, Christine surprised everyone and donated her only cow – something so valuable it would normally be a wedding gift.
I’ll think of Christine, next time I pass the Bible verse on the way to Mum’s fridge.
Today, let’s treasure and share the sweetness of God’s life-changing words in the Bible, which we can access as easily as the food in the fridge.
Robin Peake, Wycliffe Bible Translators
Reflect
"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path". Psalm 119:103–105 (NIV)
Pray
Pray for God to open your heart to His prompting, and be ready to give generously, trusting that even small acts can have a profound impact on others. Pray for those in our country speaking different languages and for those still without God's word for it to reach them in their own language.
Act
Acts for you to consider today:
| Use Google translate to translate a phrase or message into the language of a friend who speaks a different language to you. | |||
| Learn a phrase in a different language to your own and use this in your next conversation with someone who speaks that language. | |||
| Begin to learn a new language. |
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About Wycliffe Bible Translators
Wycliffe Bible Translators has a big vision: A world where everyone can know Jesus through the Bible.
One in five people are still waiting. 1.5 billion people still don't have the Bible in their language. That's why they work with urgency, for the long term.
Wycliffe Bible Translators serve local partners worldwide as they bring God's word to their communities in the language which speaks to them best.
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