God’s Word is alive and active; it changes us when we engage with it. Mark has seen that firsthand in his life and reflects on the ways he’s seen Scripture change those around him:
Think back to a time when you read God’s Word and heard him speak to you personally. Perhaps it was a word of encouragement, breathing hope into your anxious heart. Perhaps it was a word of conviction, when the Holy Spirit revealed an area in your life that you need to deal with. Perhaps it was a new spiritual insight, something you had never thought of before.
In those moments, when you heard God’s voice, how did you feel? What did you experience? Was it comfort, joy, guilt, forgiveness, freedom, hope or a deep sense of God’s love for you? It is an incredible experience to have the Creator of the universe whisper intimately in your ear, touching the very depths of your soul. It stirs up all kinds of emotions and responses.
This happens in every language when people encounter God through His Word. My wife, Kathy, is a Bible translation consultant. To ensure that the translated Scriptures are accurate, clear, natural and acceptable, Kathy and the translation team have local speakers read the translation verse by verse. Then, through a series of questions and answers, they are able to ensure that the translation accurately conveys the meaning of the original Greek or Hebrew.
After the translation check, Kathy always facilitates a time of sharing for those involved. She asks, “So what did you learn for the first time? What did you hear God saying to you? What touched your heart?”
Here is what one person said after checking the Gospel of Mark: “The passage that really touched my heart was when Jesus was crucified. When these verses were read so passionately in my language, I imagined I was right there.”
At that point he started to cry and couldn’t talk for a while. When he could talk again he continued, “Sometimes we sin over and over again. My mother has said to me, ‘If we continually sin all the time, what was Jesus Christ’s suffering for? We make it as if Christ’s great suffering was for nothing.’”
God’s Word is living and active! It truly is sharper than any double-edged sword, and it penetrates our hearts—just like it did for these local speakers when they read the Gospel of Mark in their language.
Points to Ponder:
- Have you ever attended a church service or tried to read the Bible in a language that isn’t your first language? How did you feel?
- Think of a time when God’s Word spoke to you in a new way. What did God reveal about himself to you through his Word?
