Despite the American population being fond of the Bible, they just don’t read it.

The other day, I brought a bunch of dill into the house. It had voluntarily popped up in the cracks of the garden, and it’s great to use when cooking. The bugs were shaken off the yellow heads before coming inside…but take a closer look at the picture.

After an hour or two I noticed caterpillars intently feeding like no tomorrow. It was if I could hear them say, “Dilly, Dilly!” like the popular Bud Light phrase that means ‘Cheers!’ They were on a mission and over the next few days, the caterpillars were very busy. Bigger and bigger they grew…about ten times their original size. After a while, the dill fronds were munched off and seeds were drying out. The dill was a visual representation of crop devastation—completely devoured! No more feathery fronds and bright yellow flowers. The caterpillars had done their job well.

Lately, with kids and projects, time with God has been sparse. But I couldn’t help see a correlation to those hungry caterpillars in my kitchen, concentrating on eating, and my lack of concentration in devotion for the things I should and want to do.

God provides the rich, lush “greenery” of His Word for us to feast upon. As Americans, God’s Word is all around us. We have Bibles, commentaries, devotion books, the internet, Bible websites, aps for our phones, podcasts and many more resources for our spiritual growth. But, do we take the time to use those resources and to feast on what God has provided?

LifeWay Research has done a study to find out about how much Americans have personally read of the Bible. The study revealed, “about half of Americans (53 percent) have read relatively little of the Bible. One in 10 has read none of it, while 13 percent have read a few sentences. Thirty percent say they have read several passages or stories.”[1] Despite the American population being fond of the Bible, they just don’t read it. Scott McConnell, Executive Director of LifeWay Research, said of the study, “Americans treat reading the Bible a little bit like exercise. They know it’s important and helpful but they don’t do it.”[2]

In Luke 10, there is a story about Mary and Martha. Maybe you have read it a time or two…or ten! Martha was upset that Mary was spending time at Jesus’ feet and neglecting the preparations for guests. Sometimes when I hear this passage, it goes in one ear and out the other, but notice what Martha does, not what she says, in verse 40. “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” It seems strange that Martha went straight to Jesus and wouldn’t have gone to Mary and told her to help. Maybe she did speak to Mary first, but it was Martha’s home and her preparations. How often do we put pressure on ourselves to do something we think is so important and don’t take that precious time with Jesus? We impose great stress on ourselves and others when grandiose ideas are our own. Maybe all Mary could do was spend time with Jesus. Maybe the capacity to deal with things in her life was maxed out. Maybe Mary was so eager to learn about what Jesus had to say she would listen to him at any cost. What is for sure, Mary found everything she was looking for in Jesus.

Psalm 91:1 reads, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”

The Bible does not say that whoever takes shelter with the Most High will rest. Read the verse again. It says we are to dwell in His shelter. We are to hang around and spend time there. Then, we will rest. And rest will be in the Almighty’s shadow.

Feast on what the Lord has given. Take time to dwell in the shelter of the Most High. He will meet you there and you will find rest.

[1]https://lifewayresearch.com/2017/04/25/lifeway-research-americans-are-fond-of-the-bible-dont-actually-read-it/
[2] Ibid