In the video clip we posted yesterday, Lee Strobel talked about what he calls “the last Bible verse he read as an atheist”—that is, the Bible verse that stopped him in his tracks and overcame the last spiritual obstacle standing between him and belief in Jesus Christ.

(If you haven’t watched the video, take a minute to go check it out. It’s short.)

What’s interesting to me is that this Bible verse, the one that was so critical to his life and spiritual journey, isn’t actually a terribly well-known verse. It isn’t obscure, but it’s not one you hear quoted or read very often. It didn’t make last year’s list of the top ten most-read verses. It did make the top 100, but it’s way down there at #77.

If you asked a group of Christians to list out what they consider the most powerful or most fundamental verses in the Bible, I’m guessing you’d get a fairly predictable list. John 3:16… Jeremiah 29:11… Romans 8:28… the “famous” verses.

Those are, indeed, beautiful parts of the Bible. But Lee’s testimony reminds me of the very personal nature of the God’s Word. None of us reads the Bible in exactly the same way, because each of us is in a spiritually different place when we pick up our Bible (or smartphone) to read. The Bible is full of promises, messages, and stories that speak uniquely to you. Another Bible reader might skim right over a verse that profoundly affects you, and vice versa. And as your Christian walk progresses and you travel through the ups and downs of life, Bible verses you once skimmed over will leap out at the right time with a fresh and powerful meaning when you need to hear them.

What Lee precisely needed to hear as a young atheist wasn’t one of the “famous” verses. It was John 1:12. And that’s the verse God used to speak to him.

What about you? What Bible verse or verses profoundly changed your life? Were they well-known, beloved verses like John 3:16? Or were they lesser-known or obscure verses that would never make the “top 100 most-read” list? What verse or passage did you need to hear?

We’re discussing this over on Facebook; stop by and share your story!