Let's Not Just Be A Book Lover

According to the dictionary, a lover of books is called a bibliophile. There is nothing wrong with reading a good book — especially one that will improve our physical and mental state. Early church theologian, Augustine, once remarked that he was a lover of books. However, he frankly admitted that it did not profit him in the least.

“What good did it do me that I, at a time when I was the vile slave of evil desires, read and understood for myself every book that I could lay my hands on? I enjoyed these books and did not know the source of whatever in them was true and certain. For I had my back to the light and my face to the things on which the light shone; so the eyes in my face saw things in the light but on my face itself no light fell” (source).

Not until Augustine was willing to open his mind to the saving message of God’s Book, did its spiritual light impact his soul (Psalm 119:105).

There is a seemingly never-ending flow of books from the printing presses of our country. Among those books, are books that can be entertaining, informative, and very valuable to our well-being. However, like Augustine, if we read them with our “backs to the light” of God’s Book — the Bible, we will remain ignorant of God’s truth (John 17:17).

Dear reader, let’s not just be a book lover — let’s be a lover of God’s Book, the Bible — prayerfully studying and meditating upon it each day (2 Timothy 2:15; Psalm 1:1-2 KJV).

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets