Day-old news is a lot like day-old doughnuts. Stale and ready to be tossed. In past years venders sold fish wrapped in yesterday’s newspaper, while others wadded up newsprint to pad boxes. I’ve even seen old houses with newspapers used as insulation. History emerges as plaster falls from the walls.

Few things written last more than a couple days, hours even. One and a half million books were published globally last year. How many of those are being read today as another 1.5 million hit the shelves? (As an author, I find this disconcerting). Books, like doughnuts, grow stale. Only a tiny handful get picked up by following generations.

So if I want to read something of long term value, thoughts that don’t molder, I turn to the words of Jesus. Jesus taught his disciples: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

It’s not just our words that fade, but all the world around us will eventually collapse as well. What lasts forever? God, the souls of men and women, and the words of Jesus.

I love to read. Novels, history, politics, news, sports, classics—I dabble in most anything. But every day I make it a point to read something Jesus said. I read his words, try to follow and apply them, and know eventually their truth will bear out.

One thing’s for sure—I’m not wrapping any fish in the words of Jesus.

Matthew 24 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Cristina Gottardi