By Becky Holland
When I was seven years old, as part of a Girls in Action project at church, I memorized all 66 books of the Bible. I can still remember standing in church and proudly reciting them, nervous and excited all at once. At the time, I probably didn’t fully understand the significance of what I was learning — only that God’s Word mattered.
Today, sitting quietly in my little spot at the 23rd Bible Reading Marathon in Bleckley County, I thought about that little girl again.
Over the years, life has changed. The world has changed. I have changed. But one thing has remained steady — the power and comfort found in Scripture.
There is something sacred about hearing the Word of God read aloud. Verse after verse. Chapter after chapter. Different voices, different ages, different backgrounds — all reading the same truth that has carried generations through joy, heartbreak, uncertainty and hope.
In a noisy world filled with opinions, anger and distractions, the Bible still speaks peace. It still speaks wisdom. It still speaks life.
I commend the organizers, volunteers and readers who helped bring the Bible Reading Marathon to Bleckley County once again. Events like this matter. They plant seeds. They encourage believers. They remind communities that faith still has a place in public life.
Anytime the Word of God is read, we should listen carefully, hold it close and never take for granted the freedom to openly share it.
The Bible does not return empty. Sometimes it comforts. Sometimes it convicts. Sometimes it gently reminds us who we are and whose we are.
And maybe, for some little seven-year-old sitting quietly nearby, hearing those words today will become a memory that stays with them forever too.
Photos by various sources
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