Read The GOOD Book lately?

Bible Reading statistics are on a downward spiral as seem to indicate recent reports, which findings are described as “disheartening, and disruptive.” by one of its authors reflecting on Bible readership’s sharp decline in 2022, as detailed in the American Bible Society’s Report:  State of the Bible USA 2022, and as quoted in a Christianity Today article entitled Report: 26 Million Americans Stopped Reading the Bible Regularly During COVID-19 Here’s an excerpt:

“In 2021, about 50 percent of Americans said they read the Bible on their own at least three or four times per year. That percentage had stayed more or less steady since 2011. But in 2022, it dropped 11 points. Now only 39 percent say they read the Bible multiple times per year or more. It is the steepest, sharpest decline on record. According to the 12th annual State of the Bible report, it wasn’t just the occasional Scripture readers who didn’t pick up their Bibles as much in 2022 either. More than 13 million of the most engaged Bible readers—measured by frequency, feelings of connection to God, and impact on day-to-day decisions—said they read God’s Word less. Currently, only 10 percent of Americans report daily Bible reading. Before the pandemic, that number was at about 14 percent.”

The numbers do not seem to be getting any better so where do we go from here? Wondering if a constant push towards incorporating more and more technology in our Christian day to day living including worship, fellowship and Bible study, has anything to do with these dismal statistics…or is it simply another sign of the times? Albeit one with a silver lining, as the report also states that ”a third of those who have never read the Bible say they are very or extremely curious about it.”  Interesting…How can we/will we then introduce that curious third to the most amazing, eternally impacting, book ever? And what about those who are a well aware of the benefits of Bible reading but for some reason are not making the (daily reading) grade?

Have you read the GOOD Book lately? May be this simple question among Christ followers can send statistics packing in the other direction. Engaging one another, holding each other accountable in this most noble of pursuits, which is Bible reading, can only benefit us individually as well as collectively.

“…he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes,…” Deuteronomy 17:19