In the Book

God is calling people to come to know Him, to be adopted into the family of God, and to accept His
truth. Jesus came to earth as an expression of God's love and a fulfillment of His truth. John 1 states:
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Hebrews 4 reminds us that God's Word is living and active - it can penetrate our hearts and transform our souls.  As we enter a new year, we can be challenged to make God's Word a priority - to read and study the Scriptures, and to allow the Scriptures to become part of us.  Our absorption of God's Word into our consciousness provides a foundation through which the Holy Spirit will work in our lives, and the Word will convict, correct, and cleanse us, so that we might know and reflect Christ better.

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God's Word is active and powerful, and we can rejoice that the Word became flesh, and the presence
of Jesus gives us strength for our lives. Hebrews 4 says:
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.
13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

It might be a little bit hard to believe, because you may not think a whole lot about Iceland, unless you're really into Viking stories.  But, according to Christianity Today, the tiny island nation "publishes and reads more books per capita each year than almost anywhere else."

No, really...the article states:

Though sales have dipped due to digital options, Iceland’s printing output has remained steady at about 1,500 books a year, according to government statistics. The bulk of the new titles come out in the months leading up to Christmas during Jólabókaflóð, or the “Yule Book Flood,” so they can be given as gifts and read during the holidays.

The article is accessible through the Jesus Storybook Bible Facebook page.

But, as the piece points out, "Few evangelical books at all make it to the overwhelmingly secular island, deemed the 'most godless country in Europe.' And just one version of the Bible is available in print in the local language."

Gunnar Gunnarsson is the leader of what is referred to as "the only doctrinally Reformed church in Iceland, and is also the founder of The Iceland Project, a network for church planting and theological training," according to CT.  He was involved in the translation of The Jesus Storybook Bible into an Icelandic version. He is quoted as saying, "The reason we went with The Jesus Storybook Bible for the first [translation project] is that it’s actually a great resource for adults reading it too. They get a holistic view of Scripture as it points to Christ..."  The translation project was crowdfunded by evangelical Christians from around the world.

As the Christianity Today article says:

Though the popular children’s Bible has sold 3.2 million copies in 38 languages, Icelandic wasn’t one of them. Few evangelical books at all make it to the overwhelmingly secular island, deemed the “most godless country in Europe.” And just one version of the Bible is available in print in the local language.

Gunnarsson says, "Most of the kids’ Bibles here in Iceland are moralistic,” adding, “They’re about getting you to share your toys and not necessarily about the gospel or your need for a Savior.”  Next up, The Iceland Project "will begin fundraising to publish a newer version of an out-of-print 1981 Icelandic Bible, or Biblía. The only current Icelandic Bible available in print is a 2007 translation updated with gender-inclusive language."

For 400 years prior to the birth of Christ, the world had been plunged into darkness - the prophets had completed their pronouncements, and God's people had not heard from Him.  Then, as John 1 reminds us, the Word, God's Word, became flesh - Jesus came to earth in human form.  The world is in darkness today, but the good news is that God is speaking, powerfully, to our culture today.  But, many are not listening, much less receiving.  If the Word lives in us, then we became the conduits through which He speaks.  In Iceland, a man of God decided to address the spiritual darkness in His culture, and through these projects, God is speaking to people, many of whom do not know God's truth.

Gunnar Gunnarsson had a thirst to see God's Word translated and transmitted through publication in his home country.  We can also be challenged to see how God might use us to spread His Word, for many are thirsty to hear and experience the presence and truth of Almighty God - He is truly the One for whom people are searching.

We are reminded that there is incredible work occurring through Bible translation, which makes God's Word more accessible to more people, and He is opening up the doors to make that happen.  We can be thankful for what God is doing in spreading His Word through His people.