Thank You God for Books!

I spent a few days last week speaking to about sixty pastors in the countryside of Haiti. Following a session in which I spoke to them about personal devotions and sermon preparation, I asked them what resources they had, besides the Bible, to use in their sermon preparation and personal reading. To a man they responded, "None." Incredulously, I asked, "Nothing?" Again, they responded, "Nothing at all."
Now, I’ve been to Haiti many times. I’ve been in some of their country churches. I knew they didn’t have much. But to find they had no other literary material besides their Bibles, was a shock to me.
It’s just another indicator of how rich we are. I have two studies. One at home and one at the church. Both of them are overflowing with books. The laptop computer I’m using to write this blog, has a program containing literally hundreds of reference works, along with numerous versions of the Bible. In addition, when I study, I regularly access the internet, plus every week, magazines fill my inbox. Reading is a huge part of my growth as an individual, as a Christ-follower, and as a preacher.
There is no more important book than the Bible. If I could only have one book, that is, without question, what it would be. But how my life is enriched and enlarged by reading the ideas and discoveries of other men and women. I’m plan to make a modest response to my Haitian brothers by beginning to translate some sermon outlines into Creole. It will be a small seed indeed. But then, seeds do grow.
Pastor Bo