What book could you read over and over again?
I remember that when I was in primary school, I was taught a Chinese proverb—
“In books, there are houses of gold; in books, there are beauties as fair as jade.”
The original saying encourages scholarly pursuit, suggesting that study brings wealth and companionship. Dreams have a magical power, and books provide the material to make dreams come true.
There is another famous Chinese proverb—
“It is better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books.”
This proverb emphasises that practical experience can be more valuable than theoretical knowledge gained solely from books. There is some truth in it, but not every person can afford to travel ten thousand miles. Books can help, for reading about the practical experiences of others gives us access to their knowledge of the “ten thousand miles”.
I used to read books—from textbooks to history books, from novels to books of philosophy. These days, one book that I read every day is the Bible, which records God’s creation, His work with Israel, and the most important of all—the gospel. The gospel covers Jesus’ life as the Son of Man on earth, the grace of His salvation, and His teachings to believers and the church. Jesus is the bread of life and the living water (John 4:6–15; 6:35, 47–51), and I come to Him to get fed every day.
The Bible is a living book, a fountain of wisdom and knowledge, a lamp for my feet, a light for my path. God directs my footsteps according to His word; let no sin rule over me.
I find the ultimate “house of gold” and “jade-like beauty” in the Bible. I hope you do, too.
—
Matthew 4:4
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
✨✨💖
en yan hua fang 