As we look around the world today, it may seem as though all that exists anymore is chaos and destruction. Perhaps the reason for that is that so many have lost faith and fallen away from God.

And no, this is not just my bleak outlook talking.

In fact, according to one recent poll, America now has the lowest number of scripture-engaged adults ever recorded.

This comes to us from the American Bible Society, which annually releases a State of the Bible USA report. They have done so for the last 14 years now, recording data that “highlights cultural trends in the US regarding spirituality and Scripture engagement.”

The first chapter of that report was released on Thursday. Titled “The Bible in America Today,” it surveyed 2,506 American adults throughout the month of January on their Bible usage and Bible reading.

As chief program officer for ABS, John Farquhar Plake, noted, the poll showed a four percent increase in Gen Z adults engaging in scripture compared to 2023. While that’s definitely a good thing, what Plake seemed to minimize is that for American adults overall, scripture engagement is still in decline.

In fact, out of the 14 years of polling, January 2024 marks the highest number of “scripture disengaged” respondents ever.

According to the poll, a whopping 57 percent of Americans admitted to being disengaged from Biblical teachings and reading the Word of God.

That means that about 10 million Americans now have no real connection with scripture.

Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean all those people have no connection to God. It is possible to pray and have a relationship with Our Heavenly Father without reading the Bible on a daily basis. However, as anyone who has spent any amount of time in church can tell you, one usually does not do one without the other.

The Word of God is, well, His Word, His lessons for us, His teachings, His love letter to us. Think of it as a form of communication. If we are to have a working relationship with Him, why wouldn’t we want to be engaged in all that He has to offer?

It’s like deciding to become friends with someone but refusing to read their text messages to us.

Naturally, we miss out on a great deal when we don’t engage with him in this way. Maybe that’s part of why our world seems to be headed straight for hell in a handbasket.

As our society strays farther and farther from God’s teachings and Word, it’s no wonder that we see and hear of more wars. It’s no wonder that people have turned to hate and violence over peace through understanding. It only makes sense that our communities would become inundated with ideologies that are harmful to our children and breed only more hate.

The key here is to not let the reality this world is facing make us lose hope and faith.

Sure, the world and America seem hell-bent on destroying itself. And all that would make any person question the point of it all at one time or another.

Thankfully, we do have the Word of God. It is available to us. And, as Hebrews 4:12 states, it is “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword.”

It is not merely words we read and ideas to ponder. It is something to live by. And it is extremely powerful. With it, we can be drawn to God, to His perfect will for us. That means we make better choices; we love better and more fully.

We can become more like Christ, who embodies the fruits of the spirit, being full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Can you imagine a world, a nation, that operated on those characteristics? Gone are the wars of this age. Gone is hate and vengeance; gone are the things that are bringing America to its knees right now.

So don’t lose hope. There is a way out of this mess and the many more that will likely come against us. It is through God and His Word. Let us run to it and encourage those around us to do the same, if not for your own sake, then for the sake of America and the world.