Hello, friends, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. Today I want to share some incredibly encouraging news with you—news that reminds us that even in a world filled with darkness, confusion, and chaos, people are hungry for God's Word.
This is the story of what's happening on the world's largest Bible app, and it's a story that should fill every believer with hope.
Let me start with the headline: YouVersion's 2025 report reveals a record number of engagement levels with the Word of God, with an increase in daily Bible use in Africa, Central Asia, and North America.
Friends, we're not talking about small increases. We're talking about explosive growth in places where people are desperate for truth.
The most used Bible app in the world—YouVersion—saw a 27% increase in daily Bible use in sub-Saharan Africa. North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia saw a 33% increase in daily use. And even here in North America, we experienced a 15% increase.
Bobby Gruenewald, YouVersion's founder and CEO, said this: "We're witnessing a global movement. People are hungry for what's real and true. The Bible stands alone as the source of truth, carefully passed from generation to generation. It's alive and active, and relevant to our everyday lives. These numbers represent millions of changed lives—people finding hope, direction and purpose in God's Word."
Let that sink in for a moment. Millions of changed lives. Not millions of downloads. Not millions of app opens. Millions of changed lives because people are encountering the living Word of God.
Now, here's what really struck me about this report.
The verse that received the most engagement in the app was Isaiah 41:10: "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Gruenewald said, "I think this verse keeps rising to the top because it addresses one of our deepest needs, the assurance that we're not alone. In a world full of anxiety and uncertainty, people are drawn to God's promise to be with us, to strengthen us, and to help us. That message never gets old because the need for it is universal and timeless."
Friends, think about what this tells us. In a world drowning in anxiety, people aren't turning to self-help books or meditation apps or therapy alone—they're turning to the Word of God.
Over the last six years, Isaiah 41:10 has been the most read verse four times. Other top verses included Jeremiah 29:11—God's hopeful plans for us—and Romans 12:2—be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
And the most searched terms? Love, anxiety, and peace.
People are searching for what only God can provide.
Now let me tell you about some milestones that are just staggering.
October 2024 marked 1 billion downloads across YouVersion's apps. One billion. That's one out of every eight people on planet Earth who have downloaded this Bible app.
Franklin Graham posted on social media: "Wow—what a milestone! Congratulations to YouVersion Bible App on reaching their one BILLIONTH download this month! So grateful to the team who developed this tremendous tool to help people read and study God's Word. Incredibly, the Bible App is now in 2,300 languages and has users in every country of the world! Let's pray for one billion more downloads!"
And here's another remarkable stat: November 2nd marked a record for engagement with the Bible, when 19 million people opened the YouVersion Bible app in a single day.
Nineteen million people. In one day. Opening God's Word.
From late August through November, Sundays ranked among the highest-ever engagement days. And November saw a 19% increase in daily Bible use over November 2024.
Friends, something is happening. Something significant. Something the world isn't reporting but Heaven is celebrating.
Let me share three truths that this story teaches us.
First, people are hungry for truth in an age of deception.
We live in an era of fake news, AI-generated content, deepfakes, and information overload. People don't know what to believe anymore. They don't know who to trust.
But the Bible stands alone as the source of truth. It's been carefully passed from generation to generation. It's been tested, attacked, banned, and burned—but it endures.
And when people encounter it, they discover something they can't find anywhere else: truth that is alive and active and relevant to everyday life.
Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
That's what people are discovering on YouVersion. This isn't just an ancient book. This is the living Word of God that speaks into their anxiety, their fear, their confusion, and their pain.
Second, God is moving powerfully in unexpected places.
Look at where the growth is happening. Sub-Saharan Africa—27% increase. North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia—33% increase.
These are regions facing persecution, poverty, political instability, and spiritual warfare. And yet, people are turning to God's Word in record numbers.
This reminds me of what we've seen throughout history: the church grows fastest under pressure. When comfort is stripped away, when circumstances are hard, when life is uncertain—that's when people cry out for God.
And God is meeting them. Not through elaborate programs or celebrity preachers or fancy buildings. He's meeting them through His Word on a phone screen.
Third, when people engage with God's Word consistently, lives are transformed.
Gruenewald said, "The momentum we're seeing gives us bold faith for 2026 and beyond. When people consistently engage with God's Word, it transforms more than individual lives. There's a ripple effect in families and communities."
That's the key word: consistently.
It's not about reading your Bible once in a while when you feel spiritual. It's about daily engagement with the Word of God. It's about making Scripture part of your routine, part of your rhythm, part of your life.
And when that happens, transformation comes. Not just to you as an individual, but to your family, your church, your community.
Friends, this story should challenge us.
Are you in God's Word daily? Not just reading it, but engaging with it? Meditating on it? Letting it shape how you think, how you speak, how you live?
If 19 million people can open a Bible app on a single day, what's stopping you from opening your Bible—physical or digital—today?
And here's what I love about this: YouVersion makes it so accessible. The Bible App is now in 2,300 languages. It's available in every country of the world. It's free. It has reading plans, devotionals, audio Bibles, and community features.
If you've struggled to read the Bible consistently, download YouVersion. Pick a reading plan. Start with something simple like the Gospels or Psalms. Set a daily reminder. Join a community.
Make 2026 the year you fall in love with God's Word.
And if you're already reading daily, encourage someone else to start. Share a verse. Recommend a reading plan. Invite a friend to do a plan with you.
Because here's the truth: when people engage with God's Word, lives change. Families change. Communities change. Nations change.
Thank you for joining me today. This story from YouVersion reminds me that God is still at work, that people are still hungry for truth, and that His Word is still transforming lives around the world.
Until next time, keep your eyes on the nations, stay in God's Word daily, and remember—the Bible is alive, active, and powerful. Don't just own it. Read it.
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