When Master Sergeant William Johnson* was medically discharged in 2020 with chronic Lyme Disease, he was leaving behind a decades-long military career that spanned three branches of service: the Marine Corps, the Army National Guard, and the Air Force National Guard.

The year before his discharge, Johnson began to long for the relationship with Jesus that he’d walked away from in his youth. His Chaplain gave him a Bible from American Bible Society. “It was the camouflaged one,” Johnson says, “and it had the card for the Bible challenge inside.” Completing that challenge helped renew Johnson’s faith and hunger for God’s Word.

Once he was discharged, Johnson says that same Bible helped him get through the difficulties he encountered while adjusting to civilian life. Just before the pandemic forced the closure of many churches, Johnson began hosting a small Bible group in his home, which continues to meet. He visited American Bible Society’s website to request Scripture resources he could use to help others in their walk with Christ.

“Our Service Members are constantly under attack,” Johnson says. “I believe the vast majority of them join the military because they want to serve and do good. I think that automatically puts them on the enemy’s radar.” Johnson believes that the Military Bibles from American Bible Society are especially helpful because service men and women are trained to be very goal oriented, and the Bible challenges offer a way to engage in God’s Word with a sense of structure.

For more than 200 years, our Armed Forces Ministry has faithfully distributed Bibles and Scripture resources to Service Members, Veterans, and their families across the world and right here at home. Incredible generosity like yours has helped supply more than 60 million to our military family over the years!

*Name changed for privacy