The One Book Left Off the Reading List
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6
When I received my high school diploma years ago, I was just an average student with perfect attendance. I knew how to show up.
Much has changed, but every fall reminds me of a new generation of students preparing for classrooms, assignments, schedules, while filling backpacks with books that will help them understand the world, prepare for the future, and dream big.
But there is one book that may never appear on a required reading list – the Word of God. Yet this book has impacted my life more than any other.
Students today are already being tempted to compromise their morals in the name of acceptance, love, or success. But their future is too important to trade for the world’s approval.
Parents, grandparents, and teachers are helping them step into all that lies ahead. The best gift they can give is a love for God’s Word.
The literature books we studied in school were rich and meaningful, but their significance often depended on how we interpreted them. The Bible is different. From the beginning to forever, it is an incredible story about God’s rescue of man. Its wisdom and timeless truths do not change with culture.
There will be successes and failures in every student’s future, and they will need something to guide them. The Bible is that guide. It doesn’t offer opinions. Its truths can shape them, practically and in faith. That’s why these words are important: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
When everything around students feels uncertain, they need something stable. The Word of God is that foundation, the unshakable place where they can stand when all else is shifting.
So as backpacks are filled, don’t let students face the year without direction. Help them resist the urge to chase what is short-lived or false. Teach them to tether themselves to God and His Word. God has a purpose for their lives. When they seek His direction and pursue what is lasting and true, He can remove roadblocks and open doors they never could.
Charles H. Spurgeon said, “Visit many good books, but live in the Bible.
That is my hope for this school year: that families will make room for God’s Word, teachers will honor its truth, students will build their lives upon it, and hearts will come to know its Author personally.
Because the Bible is more than a book of words. It is God’s life-giving Word, waiting to be opened.
Questions for Reflection:
1. Are we giving God’s Word the same priority we give school preparation?
2. What example am I setting for the students God has entrusted me?
3. What one step can I take this week to make God’s Word the daily bread of our home?
