Encouragement From Dusty Pages

I guess you might say my main hobby is reading.

It's all about the books.

The Bible is number one.

But good Christian books that can encourage, instruct, and make me think are priceless too.

My books are my friends.

Old classics.

Forgotten titles that shouldn't be forgotten.

New titles that bring old truths into the 21st Century.

Biographies.

Commentaries on the Bible.

A library filled with these kinds of books is a living library.

When life happens I can grab my Bible.

I can also grab a Christian book that speaks to me at that moment.

I may have read it months or years ago.

But I open it and God uses the words to speak anew.

It's a fresh dose of encouragement from dusty pages.

These books travel with me through life.

Just yesterday I picked up "Made For His Pleasure" by Alistair Begg.

I opened it to a chapter with the title "Finding The Ideal Place To Serve God."

A few words hit the sweet spot of my soul:

"The Bible makes it clear that God's call is not primarily about geography. We are called...

According to God's purpose (Romans 8:28)

By His grace (Galatians 1:15)

Through the gospel (2 Thessalonians 2:14)

Heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14)

Out of darkness (1 Peter 2:9)

To belong to Jesus (Romans 1:6)

To be saints (Romans 1:7)

To be holy (1 Corinthians 1:2)

To live in peace (1Corinthians 7:15)

To one hope (Ephesians 4:4)

To His eternal glory (1 Peter 5:10)

Even in this brief selection, it's apparent that God is more concerned about what is happening than where it's happening.

We need to be thinking theologically rather than geographically."

Seems to me that's a healthy word for all of us.

Where is the ideal place of service?

It's where God puts us.

I think of Jesus calling the disciples to follow him in Luke 5:11:

"And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him."

The first disciples, in obedience to the call of Jesus, left behind normality and security and began a journey into the unknown.

A place where theology and geography collide.

A place where I know I'm supposed to be.