The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Ecclesiastes 12:10-14, “The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly.
11 The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd.
12 But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.
13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.
14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”

Have you ever wondered how many books there are in the world? It’s truly difficult to be specific. If by “book,” we mean one copy of one specific title, one source says, “…the number of unique books in existence as of halfway through 2016 is 134,021,533 total.”

The writers Solomon had in mind used delightful, colorful words that made reading a joy, as they worked to express truth through what they wrote –truth that hopefully would keep the reader true in all his endeavors. At the same time, the best of writings contained “goads” and “nails” that kept the reader mentally encouraged to be the best he could be at all times and in every situation.

Solomon’s parental warning was to avoid excessive devotion to reading, as it is a weariness of the human mind and body. His emphasis, however, regarded his son’s relationship with Almighty God. There is but “one Shepherd”; thus, the bottom line is: “fear God and keep His commandments.” For it is He, the Shepherd, who will assess all things done by all mankind. Neither they nor we can do wrong and get by. We will all be required to give account of our lives one day. As of now, it’s not too late to change.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom