One of my favorite places to read my Bible is on my patio. It’s quiet, free from distractions and I just feel closer to God when I’m outside for some reason. One particular evening last Summer, I accidentally left my Bible outside after studying it. It was wide open to Romans and a storm came through overnight and waterlogged the precious book given to me by my parents the day I graduated college 20 years earlier. My mother’s sweet inscription on the front page.

I was literally heart broken. I cried so much and couldn’t focus on anything. I even ended up leaving work early that day because I just couldn’t get over the grief. Literally decades of communing with God, feeling His words come to life from the pages, and pouring my heart out over that book were ruined. I’d prayed over both my pregnancies, a handful of job losses, deaths of loved ones, dozens of life decisions, and even more joys. I had countless notes, highlighted passages and underlined words. It was a real loss. I tried in vain to dry out the pages and salvage the ones that were already falling out before the storm, but it’s disintegration is inevitable. I still turn to it when I’m in battle and need the comfort of the familiarity of those pages. I’ll keep it until the day I die. But I still needed another copy for daily use.

So, I bought a really nice Life Application Bible to replace it, but found the footnotes and details to be too distracting. After a few months of reading it, I realized I just wanted a Bible and not much more. I need a place to get lost in God’s words. Save the commentaries for the scholars.

I am so thankful to be a member of the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid for many reasons, but being able to receive a free copy of the new NRSV Simple Faith Bible, Comfort Print in return for my honest review has been a blessing. I love the accuracy and simplicity of the language. I’ve been an NIV girl most of my life, but this version feels natural to me.

What I like most about the Simple Faith Bible is that it’s just that. Simple. I can get lost in the chapters without interruptions. It’s not bogged down with commentary, which is great for every day reading.

I do, however, love the Ponder Points, which are simply highlighted scripture passages to meditate on within each chapter. I also like the prayer prompts offered throughout the text. And what’s even better is there is an index of features at the front of the Bible to point me in the direction of a certain topic or life applications written by former President of the United States, Jimmy Carter. These are great, simple prompts to help apply my reading to daily life.

I wish the words of Christ we highlighted in red, a feature I grew to love in my old Bible. And I’d like for the cover to be leather or something more sturdy than a regular hardbound cover. Still, I removed the dust jacket and the Bible fits nicely in my personal cover for ease of daily transport. I expect that will help it to last several years.

I didn’t expect to love it as much as I do, actually. It will never hold the same sentimental value that the one my parents presented to me holds. Still, I can see it becoming something I treasure for years to come. Hopefully filled with scores of highlights, notes and memories of when God spoke to me through the pages.

If you’d like to experience this Bible for yourself or share it with someone you love, you can find it in the FaithGateway Store.