Opening the Bible for the first time at 23 years old, I had no idea what to expect. Honestly, wasn’t even certain it would be written in a language I could understand. As an atheist, I had come to the place where I needed to defend my unbelief to my new husband, who had been raised in church.
Sharing my dilemma with a co-worker, who saw passed my shield, only earned me a new bible. She challenged me to read it. I figured I would then be well-equipped to defend my stance.
Certain I would find loopholes and falsities in the Book, and hoping to build a strong argument against my husband, drove my initial passion.
Clearly not a good start to Bible reading or a marriage. Yet I was sure I knew what I was doing.
Flipping open the Bible, I began to read. Right there on page 1 of Genesis. Where else would you start a book? Genesis 1:1. I began to pore over the words and the story began to come alive to me like nothing I had ever read.
Having not grown up in church, I had never heard of Noah and Moses, let alone consider them real people. And then that pesky line of Abraham. Wow. What dysfunction and tribulation! The ribbon of redemption was woven through on every page and my heart was getting increasingly entangled.
I don’t quite remember what I had read the night I felt the nudge in my soul and the scales fall from my eyes. I do remember laying the Bible on the bed and running out to the living room to proclaim to my man that, “It’s all real! He is real!”
His jaw dropped as I explained that if God could redeem the fallen people in the saga of the book of Genesis, He certainly could redeem the mess that was me. I surrendered my life to Him that night in early November 2000.
Redemption came for me and opened my eyes to His truth. By His grace, He continues to woo and redeem this mess.
Only God can give, even an atheist, understanding in His word.
We see in Luke 24 the disciples who had been walking on the road have dinner with Jesus and verse 45 says, “Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.”
The only way we get understanding in the Word of God is to ask God for it.
Seeking Him for understanding is the first step in knowing God through His Word. Our eyes will be opened to marvelous things in His Word when we begin with prayer.
Only then can we begin to walk in the life-changing transformation it brings.
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I love this. My story is similar, and I can attest that God can open our eyes and teach us what we need to know. No seminary degree necessary😊
absolutely! He is the best Teacher, we just need to be willing to be still and have teachable hearts. He is so faithful! <3
I love this. My story is similar and I can attest that God will open our eyes and teach us from His Word. No seminary degree necessary😊
Wow, Thank you for sharing your story Muriel. I love the idea of asking God for wisdom before we read His word. I hope you have a beautiful day,
thank you for reading, Jolene!
“The ribbon of redemption was woven through on every page” Yes! And, as you recognized, the accounts witness to God meeting us in our messy places and redeems.
I must confess that at first look
it seemed so mis-nick-named;
to call the Bible The Good Book
seemed on its face, insane,
for Moses went and killed a man,
and King David…hey, whassup?
And then there was Jacob’s plan
to steal birthright with soup-cup.
All these grim and tawdry folk
who populate its pages
seemed to be a heavy yoke
unliftable for ages…
then came answer to this mystery:
God loved these, who are just like me.