The Bible had been on my shelf for a long time. My grandmother had given it to me as a gift when I graduated from school. I tried to read the Bible but I didn’t understand anything in it, so I left it alone. Knowing this my grandmother promised me that a time would come when it would help me and that the things in it would be revealed to me.

I graduated from university, began to work, got married and gave birth to two girls. We had a happy life but after my husband changed to another job, our problems began. He started to drink with his new friends from work. He became so aggressive that it was almost impossible to live with him. Every day my children waited with horror for his return. When he was drunk, he would hit me and the children.

God is revealed through His Word
Once we were forced to flee from home. I left the children with my neighbour. In despair, I jumped on a bus to escape. It was late and there were very few people on the bus. I was very depressed.

Suddenly a young man approached me and asked, “Can I help you with something? I see that you are in great difficulty.” I replied that I didn’t think he could help me. “Sure. I may not be able to help but I know the One who is able to help you for sure. He has already helped many people,” he said.

We started to talk and he shared Christ with me. Our discussion was long—the bus travelled twice through its route. He invited me to join the Project Philip Bible study group. Everyone there was kind to me and I felt comforted. It was just like it used to be in my childhood with my mother and father.

For the first time ever, I heard the Bible explained so simply and clearly. It was then that I remembered the words of my grandmother. Every time I studied the Bible, I was able to get more acquainted with the One who is helping everyone… Christ. After a year I accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour and I was baptised.

Whole family transformed
Although I felt so much better, my husband became worse. He became angry even when he was sober. But in my heart I always heard the verse from the Bible which I learned during the first Bible study:

"Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behaviour of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives." (1Peter 3:1- 2, NIV).

I understood that the most important thing that I needed to do was to trust God and let Him change my husband through the witness of my changed life.

Three years later, my husband who, declared that he would never step into a church, came to church. We prayed sincerely for him. After some time he began to attend church regularly for two years. In one of the evangelistic services he committed himself to Jesus and was baptised. He became a new man and there was a great joy in our family!

So now I tell people—if you don’t have a Bible, I will give you one. If you have one, please read it and study it because the Word of God is given to be read, to be listened to and to be obeyed. It is not to be placed on the shelf as it was with me.

The Word of God begins to act in our lives only when we begin to apply it to ourselves. And for that you need to have someone who will explain it to you. You need fellowship with other believers and their support, their prayers and their help.
 
Praise God for His faithfulness and for His Word, for the Bible which has changed my life and gives us joy. If someone were to ask me what the most precious book is, I would answer without hesitation that it is the Bible. It is the best book. It has changed my life and made me so joyful that I continually sing songs of praise in my heart to my Lord. Valentina—Project Philip Bible study graduate.