A Look Inside the ESV Artist Series Martha Journaling Bible

First Impressions

There are Bibles and then there are BIBLES, some that instantly feel special the moment you open them. This is the ESV Single Column Journaling Bible, Large Print, Artist Series from Crossway featuring the Lulie Wallace “Martha” design. I was excited about this one before I even opened the box.

First of all, aesthetically? It is stunning. The soft sage greens, muted florals, creamy tones. It incorporates so many of my favorite colors and just feels peaceful to look at. It has that beautiful heirloom feel without being overly flashy or trendy. It’s elegant, simple, calming, and just very “me.”

But then I opened it and my mouth literally dropped to the floor. For those of you who may be new here, my late mother’s name was Martha. So opening this beautiful Bible, already loving the colors and design, and then realizing the Lulie Wallace design was called MARTHA, yeah. I cried my eyeballs out.

It genuinely felt so special and intentional to me. Like what are the chances??? How did this Bible even come across my path? Moments like that always remind me that God truly is intentional in the smallest details. Once I got past the initial opening and started flipping through it, I immediately loved the layout. This Bible uses a single column format instead of the traditional double column style, and personally, I think it makes such a difference in readability. Everything feels cleaner, less cramped, and much easier to sit and actually read for long periods of time.

This is also the large print edition, and as someone who spends a lot of time reading Scripture, I really appreciated that. The text feels spacious and comfortable to read. And if you’re someone who loves writing in your Bible like I do, the margins are pretty great. It has wide ruled margins throughout the Bible that give you so much room for notes, prayers, sermon notes, thoughts, cross references, or just processing what you’re reading with the Lord as you go.

Design & Feel

The overall quality feels really beautiful. It has cream colored pages that are softer on the eyes, a ribbon marker, Smyth sewn binding so it lays flatter while reading, and the cloth over board cover feels high quality in your hands. This definitely feels like one of those Bibles that will age beautifully over time the more you use it. This is not a “sit on a shelf untouched” Bible. This is a Bible that gets highlighted, written in, carried around, prayed over, cried over, and deeply loved.

Readability & Layout

One thing I really appreciate is that this Bible leans more toward simplicity and readability rather than trying to overload you with tons of study tools and distractions. It’s not packed with heavy commentary on every page. I personally love that. Don’t get me wrong, I believe commentaries, study notes, theologians, and people who have gone before us all have their place. There’s so much wisdom to learn from. But when I’m sitting down to simply read the Word, spend time with the Lord, and learn Scripture for myself, I personally don’t want a bunch of other voices, opinions, and interpretations immediately surrounding the text. I want to sit with the Word first. I want to pray through it, wrestle with it, meditate on it, and allow the Lord to reveal things to me personally through Scripture before I go searching for everyone else’s thoughts about it.

And that’s something I really appreciate about this Bible.

Final Thoughts

I think this Bible is such a beautiful option for anyone who loves the ESV translation and wants something both functional and aesthetically beautiful.

I’d especially recommend it for:

• people who love journaling in their Bible
• note takers
• women wanting a beautiful heirloom style Bible
• people who prefer a cleaner reading layout
• anyone wanting a Bible that feels peaceful and inviting to open daily

For me personally, this one already feels special for obvious reasons.

And beyond the emotional connection, it truly is just a beautifully designed Bible that makes me want to slow down, linger longer in Scripture, and engage deeply with the Word.

I received this Bible from Crossway in exchange for an honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.