This November is Global Bible Month. It’s a time when people all over the world are coming together to celebrate the life-changing power of God’s word. Also this month, the YouVersion Bible app is celebrating the historic milestone of one billion downloads of its mobile app. One billon people, in nearly every language and nation, have downloaded access to the Bible.
Later this month, I will have the privilege of attending the YouVersion Beyond A Billion: A Night Celebrating the Bible special event in Oklahoma City, OK, celebrating this milestone. I will be representing the Baptist Bible Tribune as an official content partner. Through the reading plans we’ve developed, pastors, missionaries, and church members have been able to grow together in the same truth, no matter where they live. As of this article, over 20,000 people from around the world have subscribed to one of our reading plans.
But let’s be honest. Having access to the Bible and actually reading it every day are two very different things. Many of us have more Bibles in our homes than ever before, yet spend less time in them than we should. The greatest challenge in our digital, distracted world is not owning the Word of God, it’s opening it.
I still have the Bible my pastor gave me as a gift when I first went to Bible college. Inside the front cover he wrote these simple but powerful words:
“This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.”
Those words have stayed with me for decades. I have written them in Bibles that I have given away as gifts. They’re not just a clever saying, however, they’re a spiritual truth. The Word of God is alive. It strengthens what is weak, exposes what is hidden, and restores what is broken. The more time we spend in it, the more it changes us.
Psalm 119:11 says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” The psalmist didn’t just read the Word, he treasured it. He internalized it so deeply that it shaped his thoughts, decisions, and desires. That same transformation is available to every believer who opens the Bible with a desire to grow.
So, if you are still reading this, here’s my challenge to you: make a personal commitment this month to read God’s Word every day. Not just when you have time, but because you need time in it. Build it into your daily routine. You don’t need to read entire books at once. Start with a simple daily plan.
If you’re looking for a place to start, check out the YouVersion reading plans provided by the Baptist Bible Tribune by clicking here. They’re designed to encourage, equip, and connect believers who want to grow together in faith.
Whether you’re using a printed Bible or the YouVersion app, the goal is the same … to know God more deeply and follow Him more faithfully. Let this Global Bible Month be more than a celebration of downloads and technology. Let it be a reminder that the same Word that spoke light into existence still speaks life into lives today.This book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book. The choice is yours.
