THERE are occasions now and again when we pause and ask ourselves whether there is profit in the insignificant labor involved in the production of this little magazine. We remind ourselves that even the Preacher, who “sought to find out acceptable words,” for the admonishing of his son, and so far succeeded that “that which was written was upright, even words of truth,” had yet to say that, “of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness to the flesh” (Eccl. 12:10-1210The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. 11The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. 12And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. (Ecclesiastes 12:10‑12)). Such an occasion is the binning of another year.
Yet upon reflection we recognize that in Ecclesiastes the Preacher is considering, in the main, things that are “under the sun.” There are enough things under the sun, as the fruit of God’s manifold creative activities, to keep mankind busy in the multiplying of books, containing observations, speculations and notions concerning them. In all these books however there is an underlying sameness and shallowness, which sooner or later does become a weariness to the flesh.
In contrast to this, there stands the closing verse of John’s gospel, to which our minds have traveled.
When that verse was penned the Son of God was come, in whom the fullness of the Godhead dwelt. His wonderful life on earth had been lived out, His death accomplished. The Apostle John had recorded sufficient to convey to every reader that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,” that they “might have life through His name.” Yet there were many other things that He did which if recorded would simply have filled the world with books. And this is not the language of exaggeration.
That which has been recorded in the New Testament, though all that we need to know, is compressed into very small compass. And yet it has produced books innumerable. It is the living and fertile source whence has flowed a great river of literature — library upon library.
The secret of this is simple. The Word of God IS living and operative. It fertilizes where it flows. It is capable of an infinite variety of application. Hence the study of it, and of that which helps in the study of it, is never a weariness. Even if a certain weariness of eye or flesh be produced, it never wearies the heart, so long as the heart is in touch with God.
This is the point. To have the heart in communion with God is the secret of profit, whether reading a magazine, or better still, that Word to which the magazine directs our thoughts.
We therefore proceed with our magazine for another year, and ask the prayers of our readers that what is printed therein may not only be “words of truth,” but also truth ministered with freshness and conscience-reaching power, to the blessing of us all.