Technology: For Good or Evil
Technology is a double-edged sword. It devours hours of our teenagers time, and yet it put important information at your finger tips whenever and wherever you need it. Some people lament how the prevalence of tiny screens everywhere has damaged community while others couldn’t imagine a world without the conveniences technology offers us.
The same tension exists when considering how technology affects Christians. How ironic it is that the same tiny screen can offer a person access to daily Bible reading plans or devotionals, the best Bible teachings, and answers to life’s difficult questions AND access to violent games, pornographic images, and a world of cyber-bullying. But rather than lamenting the latter, I believe it is my job to encourage the use of the former list of benefits of this technology.
Using Technology to Connect with God’s Word
I know it’s difficult to start a new habit of reading the Bible each day (it took me years to establish my current rhythm, which I finally developed through the support of an app), but I encourage you to allow one of the Bible reading apps below to help you start that new habit – a habit which will bring years of blessing to you if you are willing to take this first step. Download an app. Let it remind you to read the Bible each day, and then actually take the time to read the section and not just swipe the alert away. Often it’s these small changes to your life which make the greatest impact.
So without further ado, I offer you my list of the Top 3 Bible Reading apps to engage in God’s word each day:
The Bible App – This is the most downloaded Bible app in the world for both Apple and Android devices. It allows you to select from almost any Bible translation you would want, highlight and take notes as you read, share those notes in a community together, and follow any number of pre-defined reading plans.
If you get this app, I suggest starting with the Discipleship Journal’s 5x5x5 Reading plan which allows you to read the New Testament by reading a chapter a day, for 5 minutes, 5 days a week.
GoTandem – This unique app asks you a series of questions when you create your user account and from there tailors the verses it sends to you both in the morning and the evening. For instance, if you recognize that you struggle with materialism, it will send you Bible verses about money along with a couple questions to help you think about money and belongings the right way.
Every Day Bible – This app is similar to the One Year Bible which has been so popular for many years now. Each day when you open the app it will put your Bible passages from the Old Testament, New Testament, and a devotional all into one column to read. You are allowed to customize how much you actually want to read each day, but then this app provides the reading plan in the most simple format.
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