October 26 2017 – Click here to listen
I awoke this morning and glanced at my watch and it read 4:00 a.m. So, I got up and headed towards my study to write Words for the Day and noticed the light was on in the living room. I went in there and my wife was watching television. That seemed odd, she was sitting there watching television when I went to bed and appeared not to have ever quit. I remarked that she must love television and she looked at me like I was crazy. She exclaimed, “It’s a quarter to eleven Bob.
Huh? I thought it was 4:00 a.m.
Hmmm . . . I was thinking I sure did pay a lot of money for a watch that was too blurry to read. That didn’t fly and I had to accept that just maybe the watch was not the problem, and my old eyes were not as sharp and focused as they once were.
Sigh . . .
I’d gone to bed early because I didn’t ever sleep Tuesday night, I assume due to the anesthesia for my back procedure. Last night I slept very well for a few hours for a change and was ready to begin my day just a little before midnight.
This incident reminded me this morning of a report I read from world famous researcher and good friend George Barna. In part it is as follows:
With over 5 billion copies sold, the Bible remains earth’s most-read book. But the world in which we read and engage with the Bible is rapidly changing. The steady rise of skepticism is creating a cultural atmosphere that is becoming unfriendly to claims of faith; the adoption of self-fulfillment as our culture’s ultimate measure of good is re-orienting moral authority; and the explosive growth of digital tools such as Bible apps, daily reading plans, study resources and online communities offer unprecedented access to the Scriptures.
In the last six years alone, we’ve seen unparalleled changes. Nearly a quarter of a century ago in 1991, 45 percent of American adults told Barna they read the Bible at least once a week. In 2009, 46 percent reported doing so. These percentages were remarkably consistent over the course of nearly two decades. But since 2009, Bible reading has become less widespread, especially among the youngest adults. As more and more Millennials join the ranks of adulthood, the national average continues to weaken. Today, about one-third of all American adults report reading the Bible once a week or more. The percentage is highest among Elders (49%) and lowest among Millennials (24%).
There are a few hopeful signs for those who advocate for the Bible’s continuing importance and influence:
- Most Americans (including a majority of young adults) believe the Bible has been more influential on humanity than any other text.
- A majority (also including young adults) believes the Bible contains everything a person needs to know in order to live a meaningful life.
- Two-thirds of all Americans hold an orthodox view of the Bible, that it is the actual or inspired word of God.
- Nearly half read the Scriptures at least once a month. Fidelity to the Bible is strong among practicing Christians of all ages.
That’s the good news. Here is what is disturbing:
- Trust in the Bible’s reliability is dropping. Barna first asked American adults in 1991 if they agreed or disagreed that “the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches.” Twenty-five years ago, 46 percent strongly agreed — close to half — but today, just one-third of Americans say so. And the percentage of those who strongly disagree has nearly doubled in six years.
- Similarly, there is rising skepticism about the Bible as a sufficient guide for living a meaningful life. The percentage of people who strongly agree with the statement has contracted in six years from 53 percent in 2011 to 45 percent in 2016—and the percentages of those who disagree strongly or somewhat have increased over the same time frame, from 23 to 33 percent.
The national shifts in these three perceptions — the Bible is sacred literature, is sufficient as a guide for meaningful living and is reliably accurate — are the clearest indicators that skepticism about the Bible is gaining a stronger cultural foothold.
Barna researchers expect to see significant shifts in the coming half-decade, as the proportion of Elders in the general population shrinks and the proportion of Millennials grows. Millennials (14%) are half as likely as Elders (29%) to believe the Bible is the actual word of God and twice as likely to believe it is a manmade book of teachings and advice (20% vs. 11% among Elders).
Hmmm . . . I look at Bible study as the single most important factor in finding success in raising a family, building my businesses, developing friendships, finding financial security, and learning to experience peace, love, and joy in my life. As I look around this morning stacks of Bibles of different translations are on my desk. That is because I read it every day and I enjoy the different versions.
I’m saddened that skepticism is on the rise in our young people and they “don’t believe the Bible is the actual word of God and is a manmade book of teachings and its advice as a sufficient guide for living a meaningful life is increasingly dropping.”
The Bible has literally change so many lives like mine throughout time and yet is now being distorted, kind of like me looking at my watch this morning and thinking it was much later than it was. It wasn’t the watch; it was me. The same rings true with the Bible.
Just one in five of all American adults have read the Bible from start to finish. While it might not be shocking to discover well over half (61%) of evangelical Christians have read the Bible from start to finish, it may be surprising that nearly one in six (18%) of people with a faith other than Christianity and about one in eleven (9%) people with no faith claimed to have done the same.
Where do you stack up in these statistics?
I strongly encourage you to read the Bible all of the way through (numerous times like I have done) and to study it daily. I’m currently developing a Bible study podcast series that will soon appear on the Jesus Alliance website among other outlets that will first validate the Bible’s authority and accuracy, and then go through the various books of the Bible. It is not a verse by verse Bible study, Lord knows there are enough of great ones already out there. Mine is more of a summary of great ideas and concepts that God gave me when reading each book. I taught this series in Bible study, and it was well received and I hope you enjoy it too. Best of all it is free. You may not be aware that Words for the Day can now be received on a podcast too – It’s free too.
The Bible is available and waiting for us. It is clear and concise. I believe it is akin to an owner’s manual written by God. He created us and lovingly uses His Holy Word to tell us how to get the most out of this life and how to spend eternity with Him. It is stirring, comforting, instructional, inspirational, encouraging, motivating, and more. It is God Himself. Hey, it’s free too . . .
I shudder to think what would have happened to me had I not read the Bible while recovering in that hospital over four decades ago.
Thank you, Jesus, for allowing me access to your holy words of love and wisdom! I now walk through the fiery trials of this world unafraid, knowing You are with me always and have forgiven me of every dark sin. I owe any and all success to You and Your Holy Word the Bible. Amen!
Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.