How many people do you know that read books, and of those people, how many of them have a small library in their house of those books they read? And of them, how many contemplate what they read?
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” (Psalm 119:11)
I am not speaking of course about works of fiction, historical documentation, or autobiographies of men of worldly renown, but of books written by men of God for the glory of God, meant to place into the mind of the reader who He is and our place, our station in Christ. The cell phone with its internet connection may be one of the greatest means to diversion our adversary has ever had, and I will include computer and television access as well. They have brought people’s attention span to a microscopic level, a few minutes at best, and I include here many who have been born-again. Amusement, incredulous acts, news of the world, every form of entertainment with no long-lasting benefits, temporal, meant to be viewed and only inclusive to the viewer if comment sections are available.
Books take time, these books I speak of are meant to be digested, contemplated, pondered over at length, as all truth should be. “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” (Matt. 5:13)
Not every page contains salt of course, they are written by men, but truth only comes from the Living God, and I have found even in these letters I am led to write, truth is revealed, but not always contemplated.
I have a book written by H. A. Ironside that covers one single verse, “Unless ye repent.” I have reprints of books written by men over a thousand years ago that have one singular purpose, as all the books that I have been blessed to have, to glorify God by a life of service to Him. I own no works of fiction, I spend very little time in front of the television, I do not scour the internet for the latest news from the world, although much of my time is spent in making the videos for the Borrowed Truth YouTube channel. The word of God, specifically for me the King James Bible, is my source of comfort, rest, wisdom, discernment and truth, but I do not neglect the books that are written for our edification, for reproof and correction, for those who desire the knowledge of men of God who have come before us.
They walked the straight path, they followed the Savior all the way home and they are today resting from their labors.
Many of these will find their names in the hall of faith. “(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” (Heb. 11:38)
I am quite sure that some of you reading this poorly written letter will feel an emotional tug, if you will, to begin searching out some of these authors, but I am just as sure that many of you will find an excuse to put that book down that you intended to read, something enticing on the television, some important event on the internet, something more enticing will call your attention away.
Or maybe you will just get tired of falling asleep each time you get through a page or two.
There is wisdom to be had out there, there is unparalleled knowledge waiting to be picked up. There are books written by God-fearing men that show the way down the path.
For some reading this though, one of these short four-minute letters, an entire book may be too much to ask.