The Day the Bible Smoked a Man: Obedience and Redemption

In 2016, while I was on a mission trip in South Sudan, I found myself in Terekeka, a remote village just near the great River Nile with a quiet beauty yet marked by hardship. One afternoon, I was going door to door with a local pastor, distributing Bibles to anyone but mostly Christians willing to receive God’s Word. The sun was blazing, and the air was thick with dust as we navigated the small paths between mud-walled huts. Villages in Terekeka, South Sudan are typically rural settlements primarily inhabited by the Mundari tribe, known for their nomadic lifestyle centered around cattle herding; the people often face challenges like high illiteracy rates, poor infrastructure, and insecurity due to ongoing conflict, with "Terekeka" itself translating to "the forgotten" in the local dialect, reflecting the area's relative isolation and lack of development.

Every Bible I handed out felt like a seed being planted, and I trusted that God would make it grow in His time.

As we walked into the center of the village, a man stumbled out from behind a shrub. His steps were unsteady, and the smell of alcohol held on to him like a second skin. His bloodshot eyes gazed at us, and he stammered, aren’t you those christians giving out Bibles?, “Give me a Bible too.”

The pastor beside me shook his head sharply and said. “No, you can’t have one,” he said firmly. “You’re drunk and you will just misuse it.”

I felt conflicted. The pastor’s reasoning made so much sense to me because, what would a drunk man do with a Bible? Still, something stirred in my spirit. A gentle, unmistakable voice from the Holy Spirit. Give him the Bible.

I turned to the pastor and said, “Let’s give it to him.”

The pastor looked at me and thought I was crazy. Maybe he thought I was drunk too haha. He replied. “Why? He won’t read it!”

But I insisted, using the authority I had as the one who brought these Bibles to the village. “God wants him to have it. Please, let’s obey.”

Reluctantly, the pastor handed over a Bible, his lips tight with disapproval. The drunken man snatched it, muttered something incomprehensible, and staggered away.

That moment seemed small and insignificant. Yet, I obeyed, not knowing that God was writing a testimony that would astound me.

Two years later, I was in Uganda, ministering at a refugee camp. As I stood preaching to a crowd, I noticed a pastor among them—a vibrant man who seemed filled with the joy of the Lord. After the service, he approached me with a curious smile, his eyes glistening with emotion.

“I know you,” he said.

I hesitated. “You do?”

“Yes,” he said, his voice trembling. “You’re the man who gave me a Bible in South Sudan.”

Recognition hit me like a bolt of lightning. He was the drunkard from Terekeka. Only now, he was transformed to a pastor, a leader, a shepherd of God’s people.

“What happened to you?” I asked, amazed.

His answer was both heartbreaking and awe-inspiring.

“When I got that Bible, I wasn’t interested in reading it,” he said. “I was just looking for paper to roll my cigarettes. So I started smoking the Bible. Genesis? Smoked it. Exodus? Smoked it. Leviticus, Numbers, Joshua and smoked them all. I went through the Old Testament like that. Then I got to the New Testament. Smoked Matthew, Mark, and Luke. When I reached John, something strange happened.

“One day, as I was tearing out a page to roll a cigarette, a voice in my head said, ‘Read it before you smoke it.’ I ignored the voice at first, but it got louder and louder, until finally, I gave in. I opened the page and read, ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16).

“As soon as I read it, I collapsed. I was out for three days. My drinking buddies found me half-dead and took me to the hospital. When I woke up, I couldn’t stop saying, ‘I need to find a church.’ They thought I’d gone mad, but I knew, I had encountered God. Something was broken inside me, I felt like a new person, it was like I had come out of my old self.

“I ran to the nearest church, and the pastor there led me to Christ. That moment changed everything. The Bible I tried to smoke ended up smoking me! And here I am today, serving the Lord.” Friends I smoked the Bible and nothing happened to me, but when the Bible smoked me, it change my entire life. I never thought I would be who I am today. I did not know so much about Jesus but I got to realize that when his presence comes closer to you, you can never remain the same. I am a change man. I am a son of the living God.

His words left me speechless, tears streaming down my face. I couldn’t help but marvel at the power of God, who uses even the most broken vessels for His glory. What if I had listened to the pastor in Terekeka and refused to give that man the Bible? What if I had ignored the Spirit’s prompting?

This testimony taught me a profound lesson: obedience to God, even in moments that seem illogical, can lead to miracles. That drunken man didn’t just receive a Bible, he received salvation, a new purpose, and a ministry that now impacts countless lives.

Never underestimate the power of God’s Word or the importance of following His voice. His plans are far greater than we can imagine, and His ways are beyond our understanding.

Let this story remind us to trust Him completely, for when God moves, even the impossible becomes reality.