Words for the World
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 NKJV)
Where we live, school is starting back, and you know what that means. Backpacks are bulging with fresh school supplies—notebooks, pens, calculators, crayons, laptops, and more.
How many of those book bags, though, will contain Bibles?
I’m hopeful that Christian students take a Bible app with them on their phones, but I doubt many students carry a printed copy of Scriptures through their school day. That’s a shame because there’s a justified movement toward reducing cellphone use during school hours. Unless students have a printed Bible with them (or a digital copy on their laptops), they’re locked out from using Scriptures during the schoolday.1
Does it matter? When I was a student, I kept a Bible in my college dorm room but rarely opened it or studied it. However, things changed slightly when I was given my first Gideon Bible on campus. It was a green pocket-sized New Testament with a reference “help” section at the beginning, sending me to verses on various topics such as stress, godliness, love, loneliness, etc. It was easy to pick up and read in the days before the internet.
The Gideons organization still distributes Bibles at campuses, hospitals, hotels, prisons, wherever allowed, changing lives. All of this is important because, in Isaiah 55:11, God declares about His word, “It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
The real trouble with getting Bibles into the hands of students, travelers, and others is the lack of value we place on God’s word. We who live in America and other modernized nations take our freedoms for granted, including the liberty to worship as we please and to read the Bible. We assume that because Bibles are abundant here, in stores and on the web, that it’s the same everywhere else in the world.
Yet in dozens of countries, Bibles are restricted, unavailable, or forbidden. In many places, owning a Bible is a crime punishable by death. Those who smuggle copies into these hostile territories face execution. Despite the threats, they continue to do so because God’s word is precious to them.
Friend, if the word of our Lord has changed your life…if you cherish it because of its promises…if you find hope, joy, and strength in reading it…give it more than a passing glance. Make it your practice to ground your day in its truth and wisdom, to immerse yourself in it as a frequent discipline. Honor the priceless privilege to even own a copy. Whether you keep it on your phone or at your bedside, let its light guide you and give you purpose in your life.
Also consider sending a donation to Gideons, Samaritan’s Purse, campus Christian ministries, The Voice of the Martyrs, Wycliffe, and other organizations that distribute Bibles around the world. Just a few dollars from you will change lives, especially in restricted places where Christians have no access to copies.
And pray—especially for those on the front lines, such as Bible translators, who face great difficulties in getting printed copies to believers.
Love your Bible. Make time for it during your day. Ask God to reveal His truths to you as you study it. Give its words the treasured place in your heart that they deserve. It will change your life.
A PRAYER FOR ACCESS TO BIBLES (from The Voice of the Martyrs):
Heavenly Father, we boldly ask that in this generation, every Christian in a hostile area or restricted nation will have his or her own Bible. May our brothers and sisters who take risks to distribute Bibles remain fearless, trusting solely in you. Give them strength for today. As Bibles are distributed, we pray that roads will be open, bridges will be sound, weather will not impede progress, vehicles will remain operational and those smuggling Bibles will remain undetected by all who are trying to stop them. Direct each Bible into the hands of a receptive soul. May those who read and listen to these Bibles live out the words of Scripture. Thank you, Father, that your Word will never pass away and will always accomplish your redemptive purpose. In Jesus’ name, Amen.2
Nancy C. Williams is a Christian wife/mom with a writing career spanning more than 40 years in business and journalism. Williams is the author of the novel To Love a Falcon and the devotional book A Crocus in the Desert: Devotions, Stories, and Prayers for Women Experiencing Infertility. Her blogs are featured on Crossmap.com and AriseDaily. To follow Nancy’s posts and news, go to her home page at NancyCWilliams.com and subscribe at the bottom.
© Copyright 2025 Nancy C. Williams (text and photography). Unless otherwise noted, Scripture verses are taken from the New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. #Bible #Scripture #Godsword #wordofGod #Gideons #Wycliffe #SamaritansPurse #VOM #Bibledistribution
1My commentary here is primarily for public school and university students.
2“2024 Global Prayer Guide,” ©2024 The Voice of the Martyrs, p. 69.
