The Bullet of Change: Books, the Book and the Spirit – Part 1
King Solomon shared a wise word that is beginning to make more sense to me every day:
“My Son, be warned. The making of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.” Ecclesiastes 12:12
The number of book published each year is escalating at an amazing pace. If you read a book a month, you’re falling behind man’s accumulation of knowledge at a mind-boggling rate.
Consider the following statistics:
Worldwide, in 1996 there were 808,066 titles published, according to UNESCO's Statistical Yearbook 1998, as cited in The Bowker Library and Trade Almanac. (Research from U C, Berkeley)
The number of books published (in the U.S.) in 2005 is estimated to be close to 200,000, and that includes everything—adult and children's books, professional books and textbooks, paperbacks and hardcovers. (from Publisher’s Weekly)
As a pastor, I saw my own time literally swamped with the reading of books. A large part of my ministry has been in the area of counseling couples who are having troubles in their relationship, and that has necessitated a great deal of study.
Yet in my spirit I am aware of something that I want to share with you. The really important thing is the opening of the human spirit to the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit. He can accomplish in a brief time and with more depth far greater growth than all the reading of the many books can accomplish.
Solomon must have known this so he gave us the warning.
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