“Not being able to read the Bible made me feel as if I had abandoned God.”

0
1067
SHARE

Madam Zhang Baohua, 68, has been a believer for 33 years. Since coming to know the Lord, she has continually been encouraged by His love through the Scriptures. Madam Zhang has always been fond of reading the Bible for she knows the importance of spending time meditating upon His Word. But since 2004, her eyesight has been deteriorating progressively, and this has resulted in challenges in reading.

“The Bible offers us the constant renewing power that we need to draw from daily. It is the bright light that leads us. When I could not read the Bible, my heart was heavy. People of my age want to read the Bible, but for some of us, we can’t read much or for long because of our declining eyesight. I was prescribed with glasses for presbyopia (long-sightedness), but even with the glasses, my eyes turn teary, and I will feel dizzy after reading for a short period. Not being able to read the Bible made me feel as if I had abandoned God. It was tormenting.”

With the large-print Bible, Madam Zhang is now able to continue her decades-long habit of reading God’s Word daily.

This situation continued until 2020. Madam Zhang found out her church was distributing free copies of the large print Bibles supported by United Bible Societies. It was then she received a copy of the large print Bible. “The larger font size is much easier for me to read. I am now able to read the Bible with ease, and I can continue to draw on the Word to strengthen my faith in whatever I do. Our God is truly the Lord of our lives who makes up for our physical weaknesses and provides for our spiritual needs. I am very grateful for the large print Bible!”

When Madam Zhang came to the Christian faith more than three decades ago, her son was in his teen years and went through a rebellious phase. “It was difficult handling him during that period. We felt he was difficult to deal with. I decided to read a short passage from the Scriptures to my son every day. I would also request for him to read aloud short passages from the Bible to me. Three years on, I noticed changes in him. He shared with me that the Word of God had touched him and he was convinced that the Lord’s ways are right, and he should not deviate from His commandants.”

Through reading the Scriptures to her grandchildren regularly, Madam Zhang hopes to teach them God’s Word so that they will walk in His ways always.

Together with her husband, Madam Zhang now takes care of her two grandchildren. “I read to my grandchildren the Scriptures and tell them Bible stories. I also teach them nursery rhymes based on Biblical messages like ‘God Loves the World’ and ‘God is Love’. I thank the Lord for His mercy that we have the chance to know Him, and I feel especially comforted whenever I hear my grandchildren reciting verses from the Bible.”

“If we want to pass on God’s Word to future generations, we need to teach them what is written in the Scriptures. Now with the large print Bible, I can read regularly to my grandchildren. Although they are still very young, I want to instill in them the habit of reading the Bible. I want them to learn and know the Word so that they can walk in His ways and not depart from His commandants.”

Story: Marcus Xiao and Elaine Ho
Photos: UBSCP
2021 © United Bible Societies China Partnership