The Value of God’s Word in Empty Hands in Kenya

In Nairobi, Kenya, one of our grantees faced a challenge: how to place God’s Word into the hands of those who need it most. Many are receptive to receiving a Bible, but how do you decide whose need is greatest?

Through the Lord’s leading, the grantee noticed that spiritual hunger was evident across three distinct groups: recovering addicts seeking hope in rehabilitation centres, primary school children without access to Scripture, and Arabic speakers scattered across the country and travelling abroad, for whom Bibles, let alone faithful ones, are seldom found. As word spread among friends and acquaintances that Scriptures were freely available, many additional eager requests came from them—a reminder to us of the words of David: ‘As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God’ (Psalm 42.1).

However, before the Scriptures arrived and distribution efforts could begin, the Kenyan government added import taxes on the Scripture grant. We often face such challenges in impoverished countries, even when customs authorities are assured that the Bibles are not for sale. However, in this case, the Lord graciously overruled, and through correspondence with TBS finance staff the matter was resolved.

Sending forth the Word of God

The Lord providentially directed the distribution of 528 Bibles to those in genuine need. Some notable gifts include:

• 30 English Bibles placed in the hands of men and women recovering from addiction through a church rehabilitation program, where regular Bible study provided a spiritual foundation for their recovery.
• 70 English Bibles given to primary school students. Our grantee notes that ‘the students are now able to follow up on Scripture as [he teaches] them Biblical doctrines’—something so simple, indeed obvious to many of us, yet perhaps taken for granted!
• 174 Arabic Bibles to a faithful minister engaged in public Muslim evangelism.

More Bibles were distributed during personal evangelism efforts and Gospel tracts were handed out during both organised church evangelistic events and street outreach—our grantee notes that tracts were given to young people playing football near his church.

‘I thank God that I have a copy of God’s Word’

The recipients’ responses revealed the value they placed on receiving God’s Word. One woman, Barbra, described her Bible as ‘the most wonderful gift I have received this year and in my entire life’. Another recipient, Sam, expressed gratitude: ‘I thank God that I have a copy of God’s Word. Now I can follow up preaching in church.’ Even more striking was one lady’s request: ‘Please give my boyfriend a copy of God’s word. I want him to be born again’.

Given the cost of Bibles in a country where wages are typically low, people find it remarkable that there are some who are so concerned about the souls of people that they would be willing to provide them free of charge.

We are reminded that ‘So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God’ (Romans 10.17). It is our prayer that the Lord would bless His Word to the salvation of those souls mentioned above—that these Scriptures would not return void, but would accomplish the purpose for which God sent them forth (cf. Isaiah 55.11). May those who received God’s Word read it faithfully, and may the Holy Spirit use these sacred words to bring many to saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.