7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
These verses illustrate for us the state of mind that we can have as we apply ourselves to spending time in the Word of God. For example, verse 7 says our souls can be converted and we can become wise. Based on this passage, we can be convinced of the purity and authority of God's Word and rejoice in what He has said and what He continues to speak to our spirits as we read and study His truth. We can be motivated to hold God's Word in high esteem and develop a desire to make it a priority.
Hebrews 4:12 can encourage us regarding God's Word and the power that He will give us as we seek His truth:
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
This week's topic for Survey Thursday is an annual study conducted by the Barna Group, in association with the American Bible Society, measuring Bible engagement in the top 100 cities across America. As the Barna website describes it, "The annual 'Bible-Minded' cities report, based on interviews with 65,064 adults over a 10-year period, shows how people in the nation’s 100-largest media markets view and use the Bible."
The summary also states:
The remainder of the top 5: Roanoke/Lynchburg, Virginia, Shreveport, and the Tri-Cities area of Tennessee. Those are followed by Charlotte, Little Rock/Pine Bluff, Knoxville, the Greenville/Asheville area, and Lexington, KY.
On the other end of the scale, the city of Providence, Rhode Island, was the least Bible-minded city last year, but surrendered the slot to the Albany/Schenectady/Troy, New York area, with only 10 percent of residents qualifying as Bible-minded. Boston moved into second and Providence "dropped" to third. With all the talk of Iowa and evangelical voters with the caucuses coming up, interestingly enough, Cedar Rapids was fourth among the least Bible-minded cities. Buffalo rounded out the bottom 5.
The rest of the bottom 10: Las Vegas, San Francisco, Hartford/New Haven, CT, Phoenix/Prescott, and Salt Lake City.
Kudos to Chattanooga, the home of Faith Radio programmers: Precept Ministries with Kay Arthur and Prophecy Today with Jimmy DeYoung, who are based in that city.
In discussing this survey, we can be challenged in our own interaction with the Scriptures. There are two components of the data: reading the Bible in a typical week and asserting the Bible is accurate. You could perhaps say we are talking about study and belief, which leads to application.
I think it would be interesting to know how different people study the Bible. Many people set out on an annual journey to read the Bible in a year, or read the New Testament in a year. There are a host of Bible reading plans out there - some are designed sequentially, others are chronological. Some focus on speed, if you will - trying to get readers through the Word in a year. Or, you may be more oriented toward depth, spending time reading, studying, and even meditating on a particular passage of Scripture each day. There is no "one size fits all" plan, but I think that a measure of intentionality is necessary when reading God's Word.
I would recommend obviously setting aside a time each day to spend time in the Scriptures. And, recognize that the words you see are more than just words on a page typed in black or even red. Hebrews says the Word of God is living and active. I believe the Holy Spirit will illuminate God's Word and we can depend on Him to teach us as we carefully absorb the Scriptures. There may be occasion when He will use a particular verse or specific verses to speak into a situation that you're facing, or to bring you greater understanding of Himself as you study the Word. That's what's so incredible about the Word of God - it is relevant to you right where you are, today.
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Hebrews 4:12 can encourage us regarding God's Word and the power that He will give us as we seek His truth:
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
This week's topic for Survey Thursday is an annual study conducted by the Barna Group, in association with the American Bible Society, measuring Bible engagement in the top 100 cities across America. As the Barna website describes it, "The annual 'Bible-Minded' cities report, based on interviews with 65,064 adults over a 10-year period, shows how people in the nation’s 100-largest media markets view and use the Bible."
The summary also states:
Individuals who report reading the Bible in a typical week and who strongly assert the Bible is accurate in the principles it teaches are considered to be Bible-minded. This definition captures action and attitude—those who both engage and esteem the Christian scriptures.Not surprisingly, all 10 of the top 10 cities are in the Southern region of the U.S. Chattanooga had been the #1 city for three years in a row, before dropping to second last year. It's back in the top slot now, with 52% of its population qualifying as "Bible-minded." Last year's top city, the Birmingham/Anniston/Tuscaloosa, Alabama area, dropped to second, with 51%.
The remainder of the top 5: Roanoke/Lynchburg, Virginia, Shreveport, and the Tri-Cities area of Tennessee. Those are followed by Charlotte, Little Rock/Pine Bluff, Knoxville, the Greenville/Asheville area, and Lexington, KY.
On the other end of the scale, the city of Providence, Rhode Island, was the least Bible-minded city last year, but surrendered the slot to the Albany/Schenectady/Troy, New York area, with only 10 percent of residents qualifying as Bible-minded. Boston moved into second and Providence "dropped" to third. With all the talk of Iowa and evangelical voters with the caucuses coming up, interestingly enough, Cedar Rapids was fourth among the least Bible-minded cities. Buffalo rounded out the bottom 5.
The rest of the bottom 10: Las Vegas, San Francisco, Hartford/New Haven, CT, Phoenix/Prescott, and Salt Lake City.
Kudos to Chattanooga, the home of Faith Radio programmers: Precept Ministries with Kay Arthur and Prophecy Today with Jimmy DeYoung, who are based in that city.
In discussing this survey, we can be challenged in our own interaction with the Scriptures. There are two components of the data: reading the Bible in a typical week and asserting the Bible is accurate. You could perhaps say we are talking about study and belief, which leads to application.
I think it would be interesting to know how different people study the Bible. Many people set out on an annual journey to read the Bible in a year, or read the New Testament in a year. There are a host of Bible reading plans out there - some are designed sequentially, others are chronological. Some focus on speed, if you will - trying to get readers through the Word in a year. Or, you may be more oriented toward depth, spending time reading, studying, and even meditating on a particular passage of Scripture each day. There is no "one size fits all" plan, but I think that a measure of intentionality is necessary when reading God's Word.
I would recommend obviously setting aside a time each day to spend time in the Scriptures. And, recognize that the words you see are more than just words on a page typed in black or even red. Hebrews says the Word of God is living and active. I believe the Holy Spirit will illuminate God's Word and we can depend on Him to teach us as we carefully absorb the Scriptures. There may be occasion when He will use a particular verse or specific verses to speak into a situation that you're facing, or to bring you greater understanding of Himself as you study the Word. That's what's so incredible about the Word of God - it is relevant to you right where you are, today.
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