In Fewer Words

I grew up reading some of the Reader’s Digest Condensed Books.  Each volume usually included four or five of the current best-selling novels.  After reading the summaries of the books, I would select which novel I wanted to read first.  Sometimes I would read every novel in the collection while at other times I just read a few.  Since the selections weren’t as long as the real books, more could be read in a less amount of time.

 

In high school, I would read the required novel and then sometimes read the Cliff Notes, which was a summary of the book.  The cliff notes included highlights from each chapter, themes of the book, as well an analysis of the characters.  Even though they did not develop the story line in as much detail, the notes were beneficial in pointing out themes and other parts of the story that I may not have completely understood in relation to other parts.  

 

 A few weeks ago, I came across a verse in my Bible reading that summarized in a few words how we are to live.  Once again, it did not explain everything we are to do, but it spelled out very clearly five important responses to God all in one verse.  

 

Joshua 22:5 states:

But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you:

    to love the Lord your God,
   to walk in obedience to him, 
   to keep his commands,
   to hold fast to him and 
   to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” 

It didn’t take long to read that verse, but it will take a lifetime to live and obey it.