If you are a new Christian, or even one who has believed for years, one thing we can all agree on is that finding the right Bible to fit our needs can be HARD! We hear all the time that "This Bible is written by only these people" or "Don't read that Bible it's got this in it" and we sit there with confusion and more questions then we probably started with.

After I gave my life to the Lord, I thought that it would probably be a good idea to purchase my very own Bible to read, and take with me to church as well. One day I walked to Target and stood in the isle just staring at all of the different Bible's available. I had no idea what the difference was between KJV, NKJV, NIV, or ESV... to me those were just as confusing as that BIG chart with all of the element symbols on it that looked back at me in science class. HA! So I picked up one with a pretty purple cover that had flowers on it and thought in my head "This one!" Haha. I got home, cuddled up on the couch, opened up to Genesis and started reading. I sat for about 15 minutes before I said... "What?!?" Little did I know I had picked up a King James Bible, which is a difficult version to read. It was commissioned by King James I and was translated between 1604 and 1611 by 47 different scholars all who belonged to the Church of England.
In common with most other translations of the period, the New Testament was translated from Greek, and the Old Testament was translated from Hebrew text. The wording they use is much different then how we speak now, and I really did not fully understand much of what I was reading at all.

Disappointed, and a little stressed I started to do my research on what kinds of Bibles were out there and started asking around to my family as well. It was recommended to me to check out the NIV Bible. So I went to the creators of the NIV Bible, Zondervan and soaked in the information their website provided. They stated that their goal was to create a Womens Bible that was a well-translated and easy-to-read version of Gods true word. Once I read that I was in! I scurried to the Boarders Book Store website and picked up the Bible shown above. It is pretty in pink and large print, it also has devotions for each day of the week, Bible reading plans and lots of great information on God and His word.

Once I got to the book store to pick it up, I felt so excited! I got home and found myself back on the couch, only this time I opened up to the book of John which is the book that talks about Jesus' ministry, John the Baptist, and really gives us an understanding as to why we should trust Jesus. I started reading and just soaked everything in. The NIV Womens Devotional Bible lays out a brief history on the book you are about to read, when it was written, who it was written by and who the book was directed towards. I loved that, and really was able to understand everything I read. It has made reading the Bible so much fun and exciting for me. As a fairly new Christian I have found this Bible was a great translation for me, and I hope that this review can give you a little bit of guidance if you are looking for your first Bible, or even looking for a new version.

One thing I learned from a great Christian woman Yelena  is to pray before you read. Ask God to open your heart and your mind while you read, and ask Him to guide you through the pages and teach you the message you are meant to hear. When I heard this from her I was blown away. I had never thought of that before!! I started doing that when I read and it has really meant so much to me!

If you would like to check out the Zondervan website and learn more about the Bible that I own, click on the picture above!


What is the version of the Bible you have found works best for you? What are some Bible study tips you have found help you get the most of Gods word?


Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.


- Amanda

    Author

    I'm Amanda! I'm a twenty-something Christian girl. I am imperfect, flawed and a sinner and am only forgiven by my Savior Jesus Christ. I am passionate about writing. I have a loving boyfriend named Neal, a Pit-bull named Hennessy and a cat named Kitty. This blog is for girls like my just trying to get through every day.

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