Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. – Philippians 3:17
The function of a good book is to stand like a signpost directing the reader toward the Truth and Life. That book serves best which early makes itself unnecessary, just as a signpost serves best after it is forgotten, after the traveler has arrived safely at his desired haven. The work of a good book is to incite the reader to moral action, to turn his eyes toward God and urge him forward. Beyond this it cannot go. – A.W. Tozer (God’s Pursuit of Man, p.xv)
Good Books Lead Us to The Good Book
A good author is like a good friend,
You can always go to them again and again.
In a world where so few are the type we would want to be,
What a joy it is to get to know amazing men and women we will never see.
They can be young, old or dead,
But a classic and helpful author can always be read.
We are told to walk with the wise to grow wise (Proverbs 13:20),
And through the enduring power of their pens, the wise we walk with may not even be alive.
Of course we should “pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22),
But to accomplish this command, reading wise authors is surely not a bad start.
With that said, there’s only so much an uninspired book should be asked to do,
While good books and authors are wonderful, they are not the staple ordained soul food.
God’s inerrant word is best for pointing us to the Christ we need,
Therefore the best books will not keep us from the Scriptures but help us to take up and read.
A loving companion loves best by pointing us to the One better than he,
Just as good books exist not to be stared at and lived in, but to help us thrive in God’s reality.
Friends, authors, and classic works of literature are great for the soul,
But without God and his word, in our desire for belonging and truth, there will always be a massive hole.