We all have reasons that we struggle with our Bible reading. Sometimes we can feel like we read the same verses over and over again, making no progress as we try to understand what’s being said. Maybe what we’re reading feels detached and empty because we can’t relate to these ancient people. Perhaps it’s just difficult to find a good chunk of time to sit down and quietly read. I’ve been using an app that can help many of us push through many obstacles to our reading time, and it sounds great doing it.
Faith Comes By Hearing presents…
I’m a huge fan of Faith Comes By Hearing, a ministry dedicated to bringing audio Bible recordings in languages spoken around the world. In December I started using their free Bible.is app, which integrates many of their audio Bible recordings, and have been blown away by what I’ve heard. Although no app is perfect, there are a few reasons this should be on everyone’s phone.
Multiple listening options
I’m using the ESV Audio Drama to work my way through the Old Testament. There are drama and non-drama options for KJV, ESV, NIV, and a few other mainstream versions. Not only that, but they have a searchable catalog of nearly 1,400 languages that people can read or listen to. It’s an incredible ministry that is bringing God’s word all around the world.
Incredible production value
The audio drama brings the Bible to life in a totally unique way. With some light background music and sound effects, the narrator makes it easy to listen through large portions of the Bible and understand why the Bible is more than some dusty old book. This is further aided by a large number of voice actors who take on the direct quotes of so many historical figures. God has a distinct voice in Genesis 1, the serpent is incredibly ominous when he confronts Eve, and the aging Isaac has a slow, shaky way of speaking that lends credibility to his character (and makes Jacob’s deception seem much more plausible).
Easy listening wherever you are
For many of us, our reasons for not reading the Bible may be solved with this app. We can listen as we drive or work, hearing the word of God come to life and remind us that it’s much more than just words on a page. We hear God working throughout history, interacting with real people as His sovereign plan of redemption continually unfolds. These quality recordings make it easy to overcome issues like “I’m a bad reader” or “I struggle to get into what I’m reading.”
Two small criticisms
After a month of using the app every day, I’m finding a few issues that I hope to see addressed in the future. These by no means make the app unusable, but are worth pointing out to give a balanced discussion.
First, the app doesn’t seem to save your progress mid-chapter. Each chapter is its own separate recording, with some chapters being 8 or 9 minutes long. If I close the app, I will return to the chapter I was listening to but will have to start from the beginning. Of course, I can scrub forward and try to find where I left off, but it can be discouraging to listen to longer chapters on days filled with interruptions.
Second is that there’s no way to adjust the playback speed. I listen to podcasts and audiobooks on 1.25 or 1.5 speed, both because I find it easier to digest information that way and because it turns a 20-hour recording into just 16 hours. While I greatly enjoy the quality and dramatic pacing of the audio drama, I would still like the option to listen through the entire Bible 1.25 times faster.
Final thoughts
The reason I decided to work through the Bible, especially the Old Testament, through an audiobook is because it forces me to actually get through it at a reasonable pace. It can be easy to make a plan to read through 3 or 4 chapters, only to spend 45 minutes getting hung up on 6 verses because I got lost in cross-references and commentaries. Although it’s important to dig into the Bible like that, I regularly found that my “study time” and “reading time” had become indistinguishable, and as a result I wasn’t making progress through the Old Testament like I wanted to.
The Bible.is app has been such a wonderful tool for my reading time. By letting the audio drama dictate my pace, it forces me to actually work through entire chapters every day. I can listen while I drive or just pop in an earbud while I work or rest. It’s even breathed new life into my study time because I’m getting a fuller experience in God’s word.
In today’s busy world, I’d recommend an audio Bible to everyone. There are many options out there, and Bible.is is one I can heartily recommend. If you find yourself struggling to read the Bible every day, or you’d like to hear the Bible come alive in a new way, this may be just what you need. Each day, ask God to bring a love and understanding for His word, then hit the play button and listen to how God has revealed who He is, and who we are in Jesus Christ, through the Bible.
