So Many Books

…excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.
—Ecclesiastes 12:12

So many books, so little time,
So many hunger, so many blind
Starving for words, they must wait in the night
To open a Bible and move towards the Light.
—Michael Card

I am very tired this afternoon. Indeed Solomon was correct when he wrote “excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body” because my devotion to reading Whatever Happened to the Gospel of Grace by James Montgomery Boice has kept me up late the past several nights in a row. I will provide a complete report when I finish the book, but for now, my being tired and the arrival of my Amazon.com order this afternoon prompted me to write this post.

My Amazon.com order included When Life and Beliefs Collide by Carolyn Custis James and Encountering John by Andreas J. Kostenberger. Beth Moore mentions both of these books in Beloved Disciple, and despite the fact that the stack on my bedside table is getting out of hand (see photo), I ordered them anyway. It’s easy for me to justify buying books that relate to the Word or that contribute to spiritual growth.

From looking at my bedside table it may be difficult for you to believe, but I actually buy far fewer books than I used to when I was employed outside the home. Back then, I bought books almost indiscriminately. If I wanted it, I bought it. Thankfully, about the time I stopped earning a paycheck, Georgia Library PINES (Public Information Network for Electronic Services) became operational, and now, instead of ordering books I’m interested in, I USUALLY check PINES first. If a book is available in the system (which includes most of the public libraries in Georgia), I request it, and it is sent to my local branch. When the book arrives, one of the librarians calls me, and I go pick it up. With this approach, I can at least review a book thoroughly before buying it, and there are many fewer instances of buyer’s remorse.

I can’t remember the exact moment, but at some point during the past several years, God convicted me of obsessive reading as a result of a thirst for human knowledge. I was spending too much time with books other than the Word. I have not been moved to read only the Word or Christian books as a relative has, but I am much more discriminating than I used to be, and I prioritize Bible study over reading. My reading is pretty much limited to an hour or two before bed time, while time during the day is devoted to Bible study. I am now capable of actually leaving Barnes and Noble empty-handed.

When I’m tempted to get off balance in my reading and study habits, I remember Colossians 2:3—in [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.