Do you have a fear of writing in your Bible?
Do you feel like you’re desecrating something holy?

I used to feel that exact same way.

Today, I have several Bibles in a wide variety of translations that I use for cross-referencing when I’m digging deep. The majority of them are study Bibles because I love to glean insights from the different commentary notes.

But I have one specific Bible–the one in the picture–where I add my own notes, thoughts, and highlights.

To me, the Bible wasn’t meant to just be read passively. It’s a living blueprint for walking through a broken world. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been listening to a sermon or sitting in Sunday School, looked down at a note I scribbled years ago, and found the exact comfort or wisdom I needed for whatever I was dealing with that day.

My pastor encourages us all the time to actually write in our Bibles, not just take separate notes. And when I look at Scripture, I see that this is exactly how God designed faith to work.

In Deuteronomy, we’re told to take His words and “impress them on your children.” We are called to weave them into daily life. And Psalm 78 echoes that, reminding us, “We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord.”

Hebrews 11 tells us that “faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” One of the most beautiful ways we can visually anchor that assurance for the future is found in Psalm 102:18: “Let this be written for a future generation…”

That is the heartbeat behind my scribbled margins.

This particular Bible will be passed down to my daughter, and then eventually to Odessa after I’m called home. My hope is to leave it filled with messages of love, learning, and inspiration for the generations to follow.

I truly believe our personal notes can carry messages of light and understanding for the future. Your words can impact your family in ways you may never fully know.

If you’re still on the fence and choose not to write in yours, trust me, I get it–I’ve been there. But if you’ve been hesitating, maybe this is your sign to grab a pen.

Just some food for thought!