NOTE FROM STEPH: God can speak to us through our dreams, and because dreams become commonplace to those of us that are born having active REM cycles, we often ignore them. I know that I did. In an effort to be more sensitive to God’s voice, I am now making an effort to talk to God about the message he brings to me, whether in dreams, visions, prayer, or thoughts. This lesson came from a dream that I had.
What difference does the value of something make if it is left unattended or stored away out of sight? If it is of great value but is not enjoyed or shared with others, then who holds the benefit of the value?
A man bought an ocean-side investment property with a beautiful view, land to build something on, and a protected beach for swimming. Immediately upon purchasing it, he discovered that there was an extremely valuable boat anchored on the edge of the property. As he researched the value of the boat, he discovered that it has a greater monetary value than the entire property price combined.
Rather than take the boat on the water, as it was designed to do, the man secretly admired it from afar as he visited the property periodically, showing no one for fear it might get taken from him. One day, he discovered that storms had destroyed the boat. The waves had broken it into pieces that had been scattered up the shoreline.
What good did the valuable boat do for this man if he never even once used it for its purpose to enjoy for himself and share with others? And while we all probably agree on the purpose of a boat, there is not a common understanding of the purpose of a Bible. The Bible, which contains the Word of God, has even more value and yet so many treat it with the same irresponsibility as the man did with the boat. How much easier is it to disregard the Bible as a treasure and to let it waste away without enjoying it and sharing it with others if we don’t even comprehend the value of it?
According to research by the Christian publisher Lifeway, 85 percent of U.S. households own a Bible, and the average household owns 4.3. How many of these households use the Bible for its purpose, enjoy it for themselves and share with others? The value of the Bible appears to not even be understood by many that view themselves as a Christian.
[The following was written by Gordon Bess in a Leader Publications article, “Bibles are everywhere, but who is reading?” (https://rb.gy/hyclwa)]
The American Bible Society, founded in 1816, started its State of the Bible research project in 2011. Every year it issues an updated report based on surveys of more than 3,000 adults across all 50 states. The researchers asked if our country would be better off, worse off or about the same without the Bible, and 54 percent responded, “worse off.”
The ABS asked, “Are the Bible’s teachings essential to sustaining the following American ideals?”
Here were the answers:
- Faith: 72 percent yes, 13 percent no.
- Hope: 71 percent yes, 14 percent no.
- Love: 69 percent yes, 15 percent no.
- Unity: 64 percent yes, 17 percent no.
- Justice: 57 percent yes, 20 percent no.
- Liberty: 51 percent yes, 21 percent no.
- Democracy: 44 percent yes, 25 percent no.
A lot of the ABS research focuses on the levels of the public’s engagement with the Bible. There, the data aren’t so rosy. The attitude of a majority of Americans toward Scripture can best be described as: Take it or leave it.
“The tussle between those who esteem the Bible and those who do not (the extremes) is contrasted by the massive group of Americans in the middle, who are mostly indifferent to the Bible,” the report authors write.
The researchers at Lifeway came to the same conclusion.
“Most Americans don’t know firsthand the overall story of the Bible — because they rarely pick it up,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay research. “Even among worship attendees, less than half read the Bible daily. The only time most Americans hear from the Bible is when someone else is reading it.”
The Bible stands ready to be read, interpreted and understood through the dictates of each person’s conscience. Abraham Lincoln, who for most of his life never darkened the door of a church, didn’t waver on the importance of the Good Book.
“It is the best gift God has given to man,” he wrote. “But for it we could not know right from wrong.”
DIG DEEPER: Pray that God will guide your thoughts and give you understanding as you ponder these questions. Journal your answers.
What value does the Bible have? Think about the value it was created to have, the value it has to your life right now, and the value that it has to people you know.
How am I respecting or disrespecting the value that the Bible inherently has?
What are my action steps to give the Bible value in purpose?
(Originally published on medium.com by Steph on March 26, 2023)