Encountering God

According to one recent study, Americans in general do not like to read. About one in four adults say that they haven’t read a book in whole or in part in the past year. With our busy lives and the lure of multimedia, this statistic is not surprising. The same can be said about the Bible. Although almost nine out of ten households own a Bible, more than half of Americans have read little or none of the Bible. According to a LifeWay Research recent study, less than a quarter of those who have ever read a Bible have a daily reading plan and 35 percent of Americans never pick up the Bible on their own. The top three reasons why Americans do not read the bible are because 1) they don’t prioritize reading the Bible (27 percent); 2) they don’t have time to read the Bible (15 percent); and 3) they have read the Bible enough (13 percent). It appears that many Americans are treating Bible reading a lot like physical fitness — they know it’s good for them, but do not practice it. I personally believe that many of us do not read the Bible because it seems meaningless. We have not encountered God in the reading of Scripture. However, when we open our heart to reading, learning, and studying the Bible, not only will we meet God like never before, but also gain new perspectives in our own life — our struggles, problems, and challenges give us new perspective on how much we need our merciful, graceful, and loving God. The Bible through the Holy Spirit has the power to change us. As the Apostle Paul teaches us in Colossians, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” Let us read the Bible a little at a time daily and encounter our living God.