Do you ever wonder what it would be like to hear Scripture for the very first time? I witnessed a Rohingya man do just that when I played for him an audio recording of some of the very first Scriptures translated into his language. Let me tell you, it was something to see.
His name was Abdullah, the book was Jonah, and to my shame, my expectations weren’t high. Sure, Jonah’s a cool story and a fun read, but come on, it’s just Jonah. I pressed play and settled in to listen to all four chapters.
But imagine my surprise when, after about verse 6, Abdullah told me to stop the audio so we could discuss one of the finer points of the Scripture. An hour later and we had passionately discussed sin, forgiveness, and the holiness of God. Somehow, we came to the story of the woman caught in adultery from John 8, and I watched as Abdullah’s eyes filled with tears as he heard how the accusers had to put down their stones, and how Jesus offered grace and salvation to the woman. He was visibly moved.
For the next couple of hours, we listened to and discussed the entire book of Jonah. Abdullah wept at least two more times as he listened to the Bible for the first time.
I’m not sure what it was exactly that touched Abdullah. Was it the clear implication that all men are sinners, or simply the realization of the incredible mercy of our sinless Savior? One thing was certain: Wow, I thought. God’s Word is powerful.
- Please pray for Abdullah and people like him who have listened to audio recordings from Scripture.
- Pray also for Abdullah’s family, who sat nearby and listened to all that was discussed.
- And finally, pray for the people working hard to translate Scripture into the Rohingya language so that more and more Rohingya people can experience the transforming power of the Word of God.