"Look at that!" A petite engineering student was pointing to Penguin Press's thick History of Canada on my bookshelf. "I didn't even know we had penguins in Canada!" she said. "And they have so much to say about them!"

I couldn't think of any face-saving way to explain that she was looking at the publisher, not the title. I'd spent most of the morning with some university students boxing up the last of the stock from my former bookshop.

Meanwhile, their student leader was just piling books into boxes, like so many bricks, reneging on our agreement for him to show me each volume before packing it away.

"Ah, they're just books!" he said, dumping in another armload. "We don't need them anymore. We've got tech!"

Well, there are books and then there are BOOKS! I reached in quickly and rescued an illustrated Alice in Wonderland, and — was that a copy of The Iliad that he'd just dumped in? I knew that if I asked what happens when tech is down, it would just resurrect an old argument that they'd expect from someone my age. It wouldn't change anything.

But at the heart of all this is the Bible to consider. On-screen could never content me. I need one to hold in my hand and make notes as I listen to God's voice in the text. Recently, I bought a new translation to go with many others, feeling actual excitement as I found content summaries for each book! What a splendid scholarly help for a story like Job.

Someone said, "What is for me, won't go by me." Often, a verse jumps out at me when I open my Bible. I write it down and put it where I can see it. As a believer, I need to know what God says about living a life full of hope and strength with His help.

How do you read your Bible? How often? We need to pay attention to Psalm 119, which contains so many reasons to read Scripture every day:

Psalm 119 (MSG) – Teach me from your textbook on life … the inner meaning of your instructions (vv.124-125); These words hold me up in dark times (v.50); Your words are so choice, so tasty (v.103); With your instruction, I understand life (v.104); By your words I can see where I'm going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path (v.105); Put me together again with your Word (v.107); Every word you give me is a miracle word (v.129); Break open your words, let the light shine out, let ordinary people see the meaning (v.130); My life's an open book before you (v.168); And there's lots more!

Prayer: Dear Father God, how grateful we are for the depth of meaning in Your eternal Word, which has endured through all generations despite regular attempts to stamp it out and disregard its truth. Help us to turn to You in Your Word and find the renewal of our hope and strength today. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Rose DeShaw <rise370@gmail.com>
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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