'Scripture engaged' Believers more likely to be politically engaged, Olympic wrestler committed to Gospel witness; How to meditate on Scripture

Good News for Today

Christians engaged in Scripture place the highest premiums on civic advocacy and engagement, the American Bible Society (ABS) said in its latest release from the 2024 State of the Bible.

Falling in a presidential election year, the study shows Scripture-engaged Christians place more importance than others on being aware of civic and government issues, advocating for civic and government policies and submitting to government leaders.

Specifically, 66 percent of Scripture Engaged Christians said it is important or very important to maintain awareness of civic and government issues, 48 percent placed the same importance on advocating for civic and government policies, and 42 percent said the same of submitting to government leaders.

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Aaron Brooks, an Olympic wrestler, encountered scrutiny for publicly embracing his Christian faith during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Despite facing criticism, Brooks stood steadfast in his beliefs, using his platform to openly share his faith and inspire others. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to compete and represent his country while also staying true to his religious convictions. Brooks' unwavering commitment to both his sport and his faith has highlighted his resilience and dedication. By maintaining his integrity amidst challenges, his trainers say he has exemplified the importance of staying true to one's values even in the face of opposition.

Brooks punched his ticket to the Paris Olympics by upsetting reigning Olympic gold medalist David Taylor in the 86-kilogram class. His interview remarks were nothing new for Brooks, who after winning his third straight NCAA title in 2023 earned criticism for his comments.

The Olympics games begin in Paris on July 26.

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God calls on believers to meditate on His Word. Kie Bowman writes about the command in the Baptist Press Toolbox.

“What is meditating on Scripture? To meditate is to move from intellectually understanding the passage to spiritually and prayerfully experiencing the passage. “

How does one meditate on God’s Word? “The late Tim Keller wrote an entire chapter about meditation in his book Prayer. Among many other things, he wrote, “Many of us have a devotional life in which we jump from fairly academic study of the Bible into prayer. There is a ‘middle ground’ however, between prayer and Bible study, a kind of bridge between the two. While deep experiences of the presence and power of God can happen in innumerable ways, the ordinary way for going deeper spiritually into prayer is through meditation on Scripture.”