{"id":31121,"date":"2022-09-10T15:17:42","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:17:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/what-drove-people-to-scripture-in-2020\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T15:17:42","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:17:42","slug":"what-drove-people-to-scripture-in-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/what-drove-people-to-scripture-in-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"What Drove People to Scripture in 2020?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Christian Standard Bible photo<\/div>\n

By Aaron Earls<\/em><\/p>\n

2020 has been a hectic, dare I say, unprecedented<\/em> year for most. With all that happened this year, both Bible Gateway and YouVersion saw readers turn to Scripture to help navigate the unknowns.<\/p>\n

Bible Gateway noted four themes that were unusually prominent in Bible searches during 2020: pandemic, social, political, and end times.<\/p>\n

Bible Gateway chart<\/div>\n

Searches for pandemic related terms, such as disease, pestilence, and plague, spiked in March when lockdowns and quarantines related to COVID-19 first began closing events and businesses.<\/p>\n

Key verses filling those searches were Exodus 23:25 (\u201cServe the Lord your God, and he will bless your bread and your water. I will remove illnesses from you.\u201d) and Jeremiah 33:6 (\u201cYet I will certainly bring health and healing to it and will indeed heal them. I will let them experience the abundance of true peace.\u201d).<\/p>\n

After video of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd\u2019s killings went viral, thousands of Americans took to the streets in protest and many turned to the Bible as well. Early summer Scripture searches were dominated by topics like justice, equality, racism, and oppression.<\/p>\n

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Readers took solace in verses like Proverbs 21:15 (\u201cJustice executed is a joy to the righteous but a terror to evildoers.\u201d) and Isaiah 1:17 (\u201cLearn to do what is good. Pursue justice. Correct the oppressor. Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow\u2019s cause.\u201d).<\/p>\n

A presidential election year with significant discussion about proper governmental response to the pandemic and police killings meant more people were searching Scripture for what the Bible says about praying for leaders and government authority.<\/p>\n

Popular verses were 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (\u201cFirst of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.\u201d) and Romans 13:1 (\u201cLet everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.\u201d).<\/p>\n

While biblical searches for end times topics didn\u2019t spike as high as the other topics, several events throughout 2020 brought an uptick in interest. Many were looking for topics like signs of the end times and end of the world.<\/p>\n

Readers found verses like 2 Timothy 3:1 (\u201cBut know this: Hard times will come in the last days.\u201d) and Matthew 24:36 (\u201cNow concerning that day and hour no one knows\u2014neither the angels in heaven nor the Son\u2014except the Father alone.\u201d).<\/p>\n

The Bible verses read and shared most often in 2020 are the same they have been for at least the last decade\u2014John 3:16 and Jeremiah 29:11. The third most popular verse, 2 Chronicles 7:14, shot up from 51st in 2019. Last year\u2019s third most popular verse, Philippians 4:13, fell to 12th in 2020.<\/p>\n

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\u201cLove\u201d and \u201cpeace\u201d remained the two most popular search terms, but both \u201chope\u201d and \u201cfear\u201d saw increases this year.  Hope moved from 5th to 3rd, while fear climbed from 13th to 6th.<\/p>\n

Fear and God\u2019s presence with us in the midst of it also drove users of YouVersion. The most popular verse of 2020 both in the United States and among all users of the Bible App around the world was Isaiah 41:10 (\u201cDo not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.\u201d).<\/p>\n

\u201cThis has been a challenging year with many people facing devastating loss, loneliness, and fear,\u201d said YouVersion founder Bobby Gruenewald. \u201cWhile 2020 is a year so many say they\u2019d like to forget, we see it as a year to remember how God used the Bible App to help so many people who are searching for answers. Through every hardship, people continue to seek God and turn to the Bible for strength, peace, and hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

YouVersion reported nearly 600 million searches on the app in 2020, an 80% increase over 2019.<\/p>\n

Like visitors to Bible Gateway, Bible App users also searched for timely topics throughout 2020. As COVID-19 began spreading in the U.S., the top search was \u201cfear.\u201d As the pandemic wore on, \u201cpeace,\u201d \u201chope,\u201d and \u201cfaith\u201d began to grow in popularity. At several points throughout the summer, \u201cjustice\u201d rose to the top.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThese top search terms really show what\u2019s been weighing on the hearts and minds of people around the world at key points throughout the year,\u201d said Gruenwald. \u201cThey reveal how people are seeking God as they wrestle with the difficult circumstances they\u2019ve faced in 2020, and that\u2019s something we can celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Aaron Earls<\/h2>\n

@Wardrobedoor <\/p>\n

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Aaron is the senior writer\/editor at LifewayResearch.com.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n