Their Own Bibles

Psalm 119:1-8

Prema and Jaya sat under a big tree and watched the other children playing. Prema (whose name means “love”) and her brother, Jaya (“victory”), were orphan children who lived at a mission boarding school in southern India. “Prema, don’t you wish you had a Bible?” asked Jaya. “I do. Since I received Jesus as my Savior, I want to read God’s Word every day. But it’s hard to borrow a Bible all the time.”

“Yes,” replied Prema. “I want my own Bible. But we are too poor to buy one.”

Just then a boy walked by carrying a basket. He was headed for the bungalow where the missionary, Miss Ruth, lived. “That’s it!” exclaimed Jaya. “Why didn’t I think of it before? Miss Ruth will give us Bibles for bringing her baskets of buffalo chips. They’re used for fertilizer.”

“That’s a good idea,” said Prema, her eyes sparkling. “Let’s do it.”

Prema and Jaya began at once to hunt for chips. At last each had a basket filled to the top, and they lined up at the missionary’s door behind other children with baskets. “Prema and Jaya, do you want to earn Bibles too?” asked Miss Ruth.

“Yes, Miss Ruth,” they replied.

“You have nineteen more baskets to go, then,” said the missionary as she recorded their names and the amount they brought.

Day by day, the children filled their baskets with chips. At last they heard the glad news—they had only one more basket to fill! As quickly as possible, they filled that last basket. Proudly they lined up with the other children, and eagerly they held out their hands to receive their new Telugu Bibles. (Telugu is the language they spoke.)

“Oh, I can hardly believe it—my very own Bible!” cried Prema.

“Yes,” said Jaya with a big smile. “Now we can read God’s Word every day!”

Note: Based on a true story

How about You?

Do you have a Bible? What did you have to do to get it? The story you just read is a true one. Do you think Prema and Jaya neglected their daily reading after working so hard to get their Bibles? We need to love and cherish God’s Word, reading and studying it.

Memorize:

“Your law is more valuable to me than millions in gold and silver!” Psalm 119:72