It is so easy to wander through life, not noticing the great blessings God has bestowed upon us. For example, If I flip the switch on and get light several times a day, every day, for 22 years, then I very rarely think to stop and thank God for light. When I go a month or longer without electricty, I begin to praise God every time I flip that switch and light enters the room.
I would like to compare that thought to how blessed I am to have a Bible and the ability to study it.
According to UNESCO, in the world today there are about 1 billion non-literate adults.
- This 1 billion is approximately 26 percent of the world's adult population.
Women make up two-thirds of all non-literates. - 98 percent of all non-literates live in developing countries.
- In the least developed countries, the overall illiteracy rate is 49 percent.
- 52 percent of all non-literates live in India and China.
- Africa as a continent has a literacy rate of less than 60 percent.
- In Sub-Saharan Africa since 1980, primary school enrollment has declined, going from 58 percent to 50 percent.
- In all developing countries, the percentage of children aged 6-11 not attending school is 15 percent. In the least developed countries, it is 45 percent.(UNESCO 1998)
Combine that with these facts:
- Of the 2,400 language groups with portions of the Bible, roughly 1,115 have the New Testament.
- Only 426 have a full Bible, including the Old Testament
- (If I am reading these stats right) that means, of 2,400 languages (that HAVE portions of the Bible, this does not include language groups that do not have portions of the Bible!), 53% do not have bibles translated into their language, only 46% have the New Testament, and only 17% have both old and new testament translated into their language (that means 83% of the world’s languages that have a portion of the Bible do not have the entire Bible translation).
The fact is…if I was born in any third-world country, the chances are that I would be highly unlikely to pick up a Bible and start reading it. Even worse, if I was born into one of those people groups without a Bible…I couldn’t even have someone in my community that does read, read it to me.
But the possibility of not having access to read God’s word is not secluded to third world countries. I interact with people every day…right here in America…who cannot read. I have met a few who cannot even write their own name. They aren’t stupid and they don’t have learning disabilities…they were just born into violent, abusive, and neglectful families that never sent them to school.
But I walk by 4 bibles and many shelves of books filled with books explaining passages of scripture every single day. I live in a country with over a hundred evangelical bible colleges, universities, and seminaries. There are hundreds of sound theologians that are publishing books faster then I will ever be able to read that exegete and expound on scripture. I could sign up to study Greek and Hebrew and study God’s word for myself in the original language.
Failure to study God’s word is more then a lack of discipline in my life, it is foolish and sinful. It should be as repulsive as a nation starving to death while there is enough food for a daily thanksgiving day feast sitting in storage.
To go throughout my life without studying God’s word on a consistent and continual basis, is like going through life with a million dollars in my bank account, yet sleeping in Central Park in the middle of the winter. It would be stupid, and yet…when I stood before God, I feel like that would make more sense then trying to account for why I was not immersed in this great gift that God has given me while so much of the world has lived without it.
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