Curt Flewelling, FISM News
It is not surprising that with all the chaos, strife, and uncertainty in the world today, the most widely shared verse of 2022 deals with God’s promise to uphold us in times of fear.
The popular mobile Bible app YouVersion revealed that Isaiah 41:10 was its “Verse of the Year” as it had received the most shares and bookmarks across its platforms in 2022.
The scripture states,
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
YouVersion founder and CEO Bobby Gruenewald told CBN News, “The popularity of this verse speaks to our desire to be reminded that even when we feel like we’re alone in our struggles, we’re not.”
Gruenewald launched YouVersion in 2008. The Christian entrepreneur had said in previous interviews that he was motivated to develop the app as a way of making the Bible more accessible to the billions of people across the globe.
I thought about how Gutenberg’s invention revolutionized the accessibility and distribution of Bibles hundreds of years ago, and wondered how technology might be able to do something similar for our generation.
The app offers a free bible experience in more than 1,900 languages and has been installed on more than 545 million devices worldwide. One of those languages is Ukrainian.
Since the Russian invasion of the republic in February, Ukrainian-language Bible engagement rose sharply in many European countries. Although Ukraine saw a robust 55% increase in Bible engagement in 2022, Germany and Poland experienced major spikes of 733% and 241% respectively.
These and other countries in the region have been greatly affected by the nearly 8 million displaced Ukrainians fleeing from the death and destruction the war has caused. Gruenewald is heartened by the fact that the Bible is being turned to during these tumultuous times.
He told CBN News, “These families are going through something most of us can’t imagine. In the middle of what’s likely the most difficult time of their lives, they’re turning to the Bible for comfort, peace, and hope.”
Several countries outside of war-torn Ukraine are relying on the Bible for comfort as well as Isaiah 41:10 was found to be the most shared verse in Argentina, France, and the United States.
The reliance on this verse in those countries illustrates that the ever-present stressors of political unrest, economic uncertainty, and crime affect all people.
When gripped with fear, the great evangelist Charles Stanley goes to the popular scripture as well.
He says, “When I feel anxious, I take Isaiah 41:10 back to God by praying, Here’s what you said, and I believe You because You never lie. So I will trust You, Lord, to work in this situation.”