It Will Change Us

God's Word WILL change us.  Plain and simple.  Within the pages of the Scripture, we can find the truth about who God is, His love for us, and what He wants to do in and through us. We learn about what Jesus has done for us.  And, we find a power that is not our own, not of this world, that enables us to navigate this world and hold faithful to the Lord.  I'm thinking about 2nd Peter chapter 1 (ESV):
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,
4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

We're told that Jesus is the Word made flesh, who dwelt among us - through our faithful reading and study of the Scriptures, we can discover what that means.  We can know and operate in His promises, recognizing we serve a faithful God.

We can find...answers.

A recent article at Publishers Weekly noted, "In uncertain times, it seems that more and more people are reaching for a Bible. Last year, Bible sales—which have been on the rise since 2021—hit record highs in the U.S. and the UK, according to statistics drawn from Circana BookScan."

The article went on to say:

Brenna Connor, Circana director and industry analyst for U.S., said that "2025 marked a 21-year high for Bible sales in the U.S.," with 19 million units sold. That figure, she noted, is up 12% compared to 2024 and double the number of units sold in 2019. The bestselling adult Bible in the U.S. in 2025 was The Invitation New Testament published by B&H. For children, the leader was The Action Bible: God's Redemptive Story by Sergio Cariello, a graphic novel edition from David C Cook.

And, across the pond, according to the article, "Christian publisher SPCK found that Bible sales last year were 134% higher than in 2008..."  That's according to the publisher's CEO Sam Richardson. 2008 was the year Bible sales were first "tracked" in the U.K.

Brenna Connor from Circana stated, "The greater interest in religious content in the U.S. reflects a bigger search for hope and community...and suggests that consumers are increasingly turning to faith-based resources as anchors of stability and sources of comfort during uncertain times."  The article also said, "Richardson agreed, citing 'worldwide political and social change, including the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, global wars, the rise of AI, and a growing mental health crisis' as forces that are prompting people to revisit 'questions of meaning and spirituality.'"  And, the CEO of Harper Collins Christian Publishing, which includes the Thomas Nelson and Zondervan brands, says that Bible sales are experiencing "double-digit growth" here at the halfway point of their fiscal year.

There were indications even last fall that 2025 would be a banner year for the banner of truth.  A Crosswalk.com article stated:

Evangelist and author Nick Hall said the increase in Bible sales is driven by a renewed interest in Christ. Hall is the founder and president of Pulse Evangelism.

“Every youth pastor I know is just saying how exciting it is -- people are hungry,” Hall told Crosswalk Headlines. “We are living in a moment that we need to lean into. When God is moving, you just throw your sail up and you just say, ‘God, whatever you want, let's go.’”

Jesus taught that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness would be filled.  When we spend time with the Lord, absorbing His Word into our minds and getting it into our hearts through study and meditation on it, our lives will be changed.  Hebrews 4 tells us the Word is alive.  And, as we are changed by the Word, we can display that transformation to those with whom we come in contact.  

People in the Christian publishing industry and Christian thought leaders and speakers are noticing the change.  It's become a major talking point, and I would dare say, an exciting trend.  The word of caution is found in James 1 - we have to do more than "hear" the Word, we should be doers of the Word.  We have to allow inward change to determine outward behavior.  Our dependence on the promises God should result in daily decision that reflect the presence of Christ.