Daily Audio Bible - Bible Podcasts

Why listen to a daily audio podcast of the Bible? There are two points that need to be addressed in this question. First, the idea of listening to rather than reading the Bible and second, the idea of dividing the Bible into daily chunks.

An audio Bible is, of course, not a substitute for a printed Bible. It does, however allow one to “redeem the time” by listening to God’s Word at times where it would be impossible to be reading. But what I like the most is that there are no verse numbers while listening! You get more of the flow of the book when you are not constantly distracted by the alien verse numbers printed on each page.

The Bible was also designed to be listened to. Before the printing press people had to gather to hear the Bible read. Even the recipients of Paul’s letters heard them read to the congregation. They did not make zerox copies and pass them out with the Sunday morning church bulletin.

Even though it does remove the artificial verse numbers from the passages, daily readings do still divide the text — even if it is into 365 daily segments.
Artificial? Yes. But it does get us immersed into the Word each day.

This very benefit though can also be a detriment.
The primary problem though with a daily Bible reading or listening is that it might allow one to feel they have met any legalistic obligation or feel it gives them braging rights, “I read through the entire Bible last year!” We need to read/listen to the bible not to check of an item on our to-do list but to transform our lives. Are you getting to know God better or just becoming more familiar with the narrative?

Let us get to know God better! Here are a few of the podcasts I have qued up daily:

• ESV: Through the Bible in a Year - Readings from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and from a Psalm each day using the English Standard Version. Each year the Old Testament is read through once and the New Testament and Psalms are both read twice. The ESV is my preferred translation, so I enjoy listening to this each day. (Shortly after publishing this, the ESV feed has failed. I have sent an e-mail to see if it can be fixed)
• PodBible - Bible in a Year - 20 minutes a day / 7 days a week - The entire Contemporary English Version of the Bible is read straight through from Genesis to Revelation in 365 segments. The reading was was done by a couple hundred volunteers at a church in New Zeland. The Contemporary English Version simplifies “Bible” terms into more understandable words and phrases.
• Listener’s Audio Bible - Proverbs - 3 minutes a day / 7 days a week - Proverbs is divided into 31 chapters so each day the corresponding chapter is read. Max McLean brings a professional dramatic expression to his presentation.
• The Daily Audio Bible - 20 minutes a day / 7 days a week - The podcast author has a very distinctive (my kids call it scary) voice and style. Each week he reads from a different translation.
  The reading includes background sounds that are designed to allow the listener to “disconnect from the ‘matrix’” that can become everyday life and sit by the sea, meander along a mountain stream or wander through a forest as the rain gently falls and begin to feel the deeper work of God in your life.” The readings appear to follow the same plan as The One Year Bible and the schedule can be downloaded as part of the journal available for download on their resources page.

No excuses! Whether you read or listen, you have no excuse.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).