Joshua 1:9 is the Bible verse of the year, according to YouVersion, which runs The Bible App.
“This is my command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
It’s the Bible verse that was shared, bookmarked and highlighted most often by The Bible App’s global community last year.
Meanwhile, in Australia, Romans 12:2 was the top verse:
“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing and perfect will of God.”
In China, 1 Corinthians 10:13 came out on top, while in the United States, Romans 8:28 was the most popular verse.
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13.
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28.
Use of The Bible App continues to grow, now sitting at 300 million installs, up 50 million since December 2016. That’s 1.4 app installs per second, on average.
According to YouVersion, 39 million Bible plans were completed on the App in 2017 and 16.7 billion chapters read. Some of the growth in use of the app comes from unexpected places. YouVersion reports 733 per cent growth in Angola and 243 per cent growth in Mozambique in southern Africa. In India, Bible app usage is up 228 per cent, while users in Iraq are up 155 per cent.