Psalm 67: Let All Peoples Praise Our God

In the modern world most of us can purchase a print Bible at a local shop; or we have access to the biblical text online, in digital form. Have you ever experienced an audio version of the bible? Unlike the experience of believers throughout the majority of church history, we are grateful that through most of Africa we can read the Bible whenever and wherever we choose.

Listening to the Bible is a great way to supplement our Bible intake.

However, we don’t always make the most of these privileges. Often we don’t make time to read our Bibles regularly. So why should we bother listening to the Bible? Shouldn’t we just make more time to read the Bible? Well, to answer the second question: most of us should make more time for devotional Bible reading. And that is in part an answer to the first question: listening to the Bible is a great way to supplement our Bible intake.

The word “supplement” is advisable here. Merely listening to the Bible being read has limitations, as John Piper points out here. Simultaneously, audio versions of the Bible can be hugely beneficial when integrated into our spiritual disciplines. To quote Piper, “God has spoken—God, the Creator of the universe, has spoken—and millions and millions of people pay no attention.” So lending our ears to a recording of the Bible is an appropriate exercise for those whom God has made and saved (Psalm 40:6).

Enjoy the Bible in your kitchen, on the way to school or work or while you wait in a queue.

Listen to the biblical text come alive in a fresh way, through the voice of a Zambian pastor and author, Conrad Mbewe. Crossway has generously made an audio reading of the Bible available for free, on the ESV mobile phone app. This offer extends to everyone living in Africa. In addition to the audio Bible are other great resources, such as study notes and a concordance. From Genesis to Revelation, this word-for-word reading of the ESV Bible text is a great way to encounter God’s word and the story of salvation on your phone, tablet, or computer.

Follow these instructions to access it on your phone:

1. Create an account using this link: http://esv.org/international. If you already have an account then sign into it on the same link.
2. ⁠Answer the five questions about where you are from and about your church.
3. ⁠Download the ESV app and login on the app with your account credentials. If you already had the app, you may need to close it and reopen it after logging in for it to refresh and allow you access to the audio scripture readings.
4. ⁠Enjoy audio readings of the entire Bible—in your kitchen, on the way to school or work or while you wait in a queue.

This subscription is free and renewable annually for free for those who are not in the USA, Europe and Australia. Be sure to share this good news with your friends and family.