“As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word…” Luke 5:1
God’s word. It is the word that comes from God. It is the word that carries the authority of God. It is the word that gives life to creation, forgiveness to sinners, release to prisoners, adoption to orphans, provision to the poor, power to the weak, and resurrection to the dead. No wonder the psalmist exclaims, “How I love your instruction! It is my meditation all day long.” (Psalm 119:97). The crowd sensed it as much as they understood it. They needed God’s word, so they pressed in on Him, forcing Him to turn a boat into a stage to keep from being trampled.
Is there a crowd pressing in to hear God’s word today?
There is a crowd pressing in…but not to God’s word. Ten million people subscribed to Disney Plus…in one day.1 “But, wait!” you may say, “There are 395 million downloads of the YouVersion Bible app.”2 True, but access to the Bible does not mean people are reading it. According to Lifeway Research, “more than half of Americans have read little or none of the Bible.”3 By contrast, on average Americans set aside two hours each day to watch Netflix.4 The average reader could read the entire Bible in one month if they devoted a comparable amount of Bible reading as they do to Netflix binging.5 We know where the crowd is pressing in, but that is not the real question is it?
Where are you pressing in? Have you got caught up in the crowd pressing in on entertainment? Electronic entertainment promises relaxation but delivers fatigue. Discover what the psalmist did, “Instruction from Your lips is better for me than thousands of gold and silver pieces” (Psalm 119:72).
Press into God’s word, and you will find life.
For the glory of God and the good of others,
Josh
1 https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/13/disney-10-million-subscribers-vs-competition.html
2 https://www.youversion.com/the-bible-app/
3 https://lifewayresearch.com/2017/04/25/lifeway-research-americans-are-fond-of-the-bible-dont-actually-read-it/
4 https://variety.com/2019/tv/global/netflix-cindy-holland-subscribers-watch-average-two-hours-day-1203159868/amp/
5 https://www.crossway.org/articles/infographic-you-can-read-more-of-the-bible-than-you-think/
Think These Things 