After yesterday’s blog some may be wondering, “Do you read anything other than the Bible?”

Yes. I grew up being read to and then reading myself. During summer break I’d ride my bicycle up to our elementary school to visit the Fort Smith Public Library Bookmobile and check out books. I can’t imagine a life without books.

Not that books are really books anymore. Most of what I read is a digital copy of a book. It’s easier to carry an arm load of books in an e-reader than under one’s actual arm, though I do miss the feel and smell of paper pages at times.

The one place I have refused to give in to technology is my morning newspaper. There’s something comforting about “flapping” the paper open and working through it section by section. A good newspaper is a pastor’s friend, allowing him to keep up with world and cultural events his people are subjected to every day and allowing him to keep a finger on the pulse of opinions and attitudes surrounding him.

What else is there to read?

For me a lot of reading is done as a part of study for preaching. But I also read for my own edification. I want Christian books that help me understand and/or encourage me in the Word of God. Thom Rainer’s I am a Church Member reminded me recently that though I am a pastor of a church, I am first a member of the body. And Kevin DeYoung’s Crazy Busy reminded me that I don’t have a scheduling problem as much as I have a me problem.

On occasion I read recreationally, usually enjoying a good mystery. Recreational reading can be good for keeping the mind sharp and expanding the imagination. But caution must be taken to avoid being drawn into an author’s world view that runs contrary to the Bible. We must read with our eyes wide open and our minds alert, considering every book against the backdrop of the Scripture.

We live in a time where the availability of good reading material is plentiful. We can buy a book just about anywhere and be reading instantly with an e-reader. Or we can still crack a spine, dog ear a page and stain a cover with a coffee cup ring.

Regardless of the reading option, read. Read first and foremost the Bible, not just to know what is in it but to know God. And then read a book, whether it takes you a day, week or month. Read.