“But beyond these, my son, be warned: there is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body. When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: fear God and keep his commands, because this is for all humanity.” – Ecclesiastes 12:12-13
Yesterday I was scrolling through Instagram when I came across a video of an 8-foot giant African millipede walking along a dirt road. I showed my son Nathanael because he loves everything animal or insect related. He skeptically asked, “is that real?” (smart boy). I said, “I don’t know. Let’s look it up.” As we dug a little deeper, we found that the largest millipedes in existence today are only about a foot long. However, there are fossils of ancient millipedes that were up to 8-feet long. All that research happened in the span of less than five minutes. We live in an age of incredible access to information. The number of books that have been written, research that has been done, and websites that exist is beyond counting. And in this specific case, as so often happens, the internet lied to me and told me the truth at the same time.
There is no end to learning. No matter how much you study, there is always more to know. This is an exciting thought for some and frustrating for others. But regardless of which side you’re on, there is one thing we must all learn: fear God and keep his commands. The most important thing you can do is respect God’s truth and align your life with what he says is right. This is the job of every human, whether you are a rocket scientist or a day laborer. The information of this world is a messy combination of truth and lies. God is all truth, all the time. And what he speaks of are the things that truly matter for life. So, enjoy your book, your documentary, or your Google search. But make sure you spend the most and best time with God.
Father, teach us Your truth, Your wisdom, and Your ways. As we seek out more knowledge may the first and best of our mind always be focused on You.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Shane Cannon