This is how I prefer to read my Bible: (NIV study Bible + yellow highlighter + pen + paper + coffee + quiet = bliss!)

Nowadays, this is how I actually read my Bible: (iPhone + Bible app + 5 stolen minutes at a time = reality!)

I fought it for a long time, but I’ve finally come to the conclusion that my days of leisurely reading the Bible for super-long periods at a time have come to a break. They haven’t come to an end, because I still sneak in those days every now and then, but with four kiddos, two jobs, lots-o-laundry, and crazy schedules, those days are few and far between.

A couple of years ago, I finally made the transition from my physical Bible to a digital Bible for several reasons:

• My physical Bible is heavy and hard to carry to church when I already have to juggle kids and diaper bags.
• My physical Bible has extreme sentimental value to me, and I didn’t want to keep it in a place where my kids would accidentally rip and ruin its delicate pages.
• Even if I could get a few minutes with my physical Bible, I could never find my highlighter, my notebook, or my pen.
• By the time I got it out and looked up whatever passage I was reading last, I’d only be reading for a few minutes before one of my kids would need me and I’d have to stop. Because I only had a few minutes at a time, the effort didn’t seem worth it, so I found myself in the habit of not reading at all.

It took some time, but I finally decided to quit bemoaning the “good ole days” with the Bible I consider an old friend, and instead embrace reality and make the best of it. It was time to get creative in my time in the Word and install a digital Bible!

And I’m so glad I did!

First, I installed the go-to app for Bible reading: YouVersion. It’s been downloaded by over 10 million people, and it’s available in just about every mobile platform that’s out there. Then, I started using it!

Here are 7 benefits I’ve discovered from using this method of Bible reading over the past year:

1. No more excuses. With YouVersion, your Bible is always with you, so you have no excuse to put off reading. Your five minutes here or there can finally be used productively.

2. You can still take notes and highlight passages. It’s built right in to the functionality of the app.

3. You can search the whole Bible at any time. If a friend says she believes the world is ending in 2012, but you can’t remember the verse that says that only the father knows the time… you can do a search and find Matthew 24:36 in about 30 seconds.

4. YouVersion puts 29 translations of the Bible right at your finger tips! You can switch from NIV to NLT to KJV in a snap! You no longer have to fret if your pastor is preaching from a different version as you! I love being able to explore familiar passages in different translations so easily!

5. YouVersion has a built in audio feature, so you can also listen to the Bible any time you want! This is another feature I love because I can hook it up to my speakers in my car and listen while driving to work.

6. You can easily copy and share verses via Twitter, Facebook, email or text. What a way to encourage others!

7. It also has built-in several different built-in reading plans for you to choose from, if you wish. And, if you fall behind, you’ll get a nice email reminding you to catch up. (Don’t ask me how I know this!) 🙂

There are many other features of this fabulous Bible-reading tool, but those are the main ones I use. If you only have a few minutes here or there, like I do, this is a life-saver! To me, having this app has made the purchase of my iPhone worth every penny! My sweet, leather-bound Bible with my name engraved on the front will always be my first love, but this super-cool modern alternative is a very close second! I challenge you to explore YouVersion today!

What benefits have you discovered while using a Bible app?