https://www.odbm.org/en-GB/devotional/devotional-category/bibles-with-bullet-holes?ts=1794355200000
2 Timothy 1:1-5 (NIV) 1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, 2To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
The bullet had hit his heart. He was surely dead. But slowly Sergeant Major Harry Grey of the Royal Armoured Corps sat up. Fumbling fingers reached into his top pocket to pull out three Active Service Editions of the New Testament, signed by King George VI himself. The top copies were punctured with a bullet hole each, while the bottom one held the bullet itself.
Many years after the Second World War, Harry passed those Bibles on to his three eldest grandsons. And today the families still have them, along with the remarkable story of God’s protection and care all those years ago. But Harry didn’t just pass on a good story—he left a legacy of faith, a confident knowledge that it wasn’t just those Bibles that had saved his life, but their powerful Author. (Chris Wale, Our Daily Bread, 11th November 2026)
Paul’s commendation of Timothy’s grandma and mother in 2 Timothy 1 is a topic oft-repeated in ODB and thus these pages. In fact for the past 5 years plus since I started this blog and over many posts later, I would think that this commendation had appeared at least a couple of times and it is for a good reason.
Christian life is a life-long pursuit. Christ, in coming into our lives, is meant to live within and amongst us from the day we knew Him until the day we depart this land of the living. It is meant for Christ to live with us every moment of our lives although we may struggle to keep up. We will always struggle as our carnal nature will demand its pound of flesh! So we are constantly balancing the righteous nature of our born-again spirit against the fleshy desires of our soul, which for those not in the know, is not born-again. Thus Paul advises us to – not to conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewal of our minds so we may test and approve the good, pleasing and perfect will of God – Romans 12:2. Our mind which is the seat of our soul (as contrasted from our spirit) needs to be changed when we get to know Christ and that is a life long quest.
There is no such thing as accept Jesus today, live our lives as we wish and the moment before we die, we remember Jesus in our hearts. It is not for me to doubt or judge anyone’s salvation but I’m certain that’s a totally wrong approach to Christian life. Our walk in Christ is meant to be walked immediately for the rest of our days here on earth and for some, that could be well be just a few more days. But for most of us, that would be our remaining days here amongst the living.
Therefore he legacy of faith of Lois and Eunice, Timothy’s grandma and mother, is something we should aspire to. To leave behind a legacy of faith, we need to live a lifetime of not just believing in Christ but acting in and stepping out in faith for Him. No one lights up a lamp and hides it under the bed. It is trusting God and committing our future endeavours to Him that we see the beauty of our faith. Our faith is real. Trusting God bears results in the sense we could feel and sense God’s presence and we could actually experience Him looking out for us.
Pursue a lifetime legacy of faith like Lois and Eunice, like Timothy and Paul, like Peter John and Andrew. Like King David and Solomon. Like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Like Moses, Joshua and Caleb. Like Queen Esther, Daniel, Elijah and Elisha. Like Nehemiah and Ezra. Like the many, many others before us. Many unnamed in our annals of history but whose names are written in the Book of Life, with pride and in permanent ink, sealed by the blood of Christ.
Have a good week ahead, even as the year 2026 draws nearer to its close! Soon 2027 beckons! We will have another 365 days. Will we live them all for Christ?
