Issue #659 – Libraries – February 18, 2022
I was perusing an article on the 100 largest libraries in the world. I wasn’t surprised that the US Library of Congress (pictured) comes in first at 165 million items. I was a little surprised at the size of Canada’s Library and Archives in Ottawa. It comes in 5th in the world with over 64 million archived items.
Thinking about libraries reminded me that I wrote a devotional that featured libraries as a theme somewhere in the early days of Gleanings. I dug and found out that it was one of a small number of back issues that survived. It originally appeared in February 2004, and I am running it today with some minor edits.
The university library was massive. There were shelves of books on virtually every imaginable topic (and many that I have never conceived of) and from every possible perspective on the issues. A person could read there for their entire lifetime and never put even a dent in the total number of books.
Fortunately, I wasn’t interested in reading all the topics. Some areas held no interest for me whatsoever. Others I don’t have the expertise even to begin to decipher or understand. For example, I’ve never been able to grasp the fundamental concepts behind simple differential/integral calculus, so any book on that topic or any topic which uses that knowledge as a foundation would be beyond me.
The foreign language section would be beyond my grasp. I took some French in high school and university, but to be generous, it’s rusty. I can make out the occasional phrase in Latin, German, and Spanish, but I would not say I can speak any of those languages. I can say that I don’t “speak the language” in French, German and Spanish.
I headed towards the seminary section of the library, looking for the topics I was interested in researching. Again, there was a bewildering array of books. For example, there were hundreds of biographies on Jesus (and I know they only have a sampling), some of which start with the belief that the Bible is true (as do I) and others that believe that there is no truth in the Bible at all. Theological perspectives from the extreme liberal to the middle of the road and onto the ultra-conservative were available to read on many topics.
Who is God? The claims of Jesus. The path to salvation. These are some of, perhaps even the, most vital issues of all. It’s no wonder that so many books have been written on these subjects.
Some people look at all those books and think, why should I read the Bible? Why should I even try if the “experts” can’t agree? Some denominations or congregations even try to maintain control by encouraging this point of view.
The Bible is an incredible book. It is actually a small library in itself containing 66 source documents written over 1500 years in three languages.
The Bible contains truths so simple that a young child can understand them. It contains truths so vast that theologians have argued over the various interpretations for thousands of years. If you are a believer, you have a built-in guide to help you understand the truth (Holy Spirit). If you’re not a believer, you will never truly understand Scripture, no matter how much you read.
I have perhaps thousands of hours of Bible reading and study under my belt and many more hours of reading commentaries, dictionaries and other books about the Bible. At that, I still have only begun to tap into the Bible’s wealth of knowledge. There is more wisdom and truth in the Bible than in all the books in the university library for the person who will earnestly seek it.
I’ll never know it all, but with a bit of reading, anyone can sit down and learn through the Bible that Jesus loves them and will save them if they only ask. It will teach you what God is like and what He wants from us. It will teach you, rebuke you, correct you and embrace you if you will only open the covers and begin to read it.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Not sure where to begin reading your Bible? There are many plans available for daily Bible reading. Here’s one I sometimes recommend to people
- Read the Gospel of John two or three times
- Read the four gospels through twice. You’ll have a good idea of who Jesus is by this point.
- Read the New Testament twice. You’ll have good basic knowledge.
- Follow this by reading all of Scripture through from Genesis to Revelation.
- Repeat…Repeat… Repeat
Reading twenty minutes a day will enable you to read through the whole Bible in a year. Reading a book a day will get you through cover to cover in 66 days.
Don’t worry that you don’t understand it all at once. No one does. However, you will find that every time you gain new wisdom and insights.
The more time you spend in the Word, the more you will realize how important it is and the more you will want to do it. Don’t be discouraged; it’s often hard to make new habits. If you slip, pick it up again and keep on going.
Until next time, don’t be intimidated. Read the Bible. God had written a wonderful love letter to you within the pages of that book. He’s waiting for you to read it.
Hallelu Yah (Praise God)
Be blessed.
Kevin.
Gleanings From The Word.
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (for the glory of God alone.)
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All contents are © 2001, 2022 K. F. “Kevin” Corbin and Gleanings From The Word.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the English Standard Version (ESV). Spelling modified to Canadian English as required.
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