Dear Friend of the Ministry:

I love to spend time in used bookstores, searching through the shelves for treasured antique volumes. I find it therapeutic to hold in my hands pages that have endured the ages, volumes that have crossed oceans in wooden crates, containing lines that other eyes have pondered and other fingers have marked. Even reading the same words in updated reprints is not the same. There is something about the authenticity of antiquity that thrills me.

Old hardback books are far more fascinating than those slick paperbacks that flood today’s market. The classic works, leather-bound with colorful illustrations and gilded edges, have a feel and a smell that defy duplication.

By touching something old, something new is stirred within us . . . something that encourages us to carry on. When we stand on the shoulders of yesterday, the view into tomorrow is not nearly so frightening.

Fresh, new feelings pulsate within us. New determination to press on. New courage to stand alone. New feelings of gratitude to keep us humble. New joy to take the sting out of yesterday’s worries. New strength to endure today’s tests.

I suppose it’s my love for old things that makes me love the Bible so. Its timeless stories never fail to announce, “You can make it! Don’t quit . . . don’t give up!” Its truth, secure and solid as a stone, smiles back as if to say, “I’m still here, waiting to be claimed and applied.” Whether it’s some ancient prophet’s warning or a patriarch’s prayer, a poet’s gentle psalm or an apostle’s challenging reminder, the Book of books lives on.

Unfortunately, many of us struggle to relate to Scripture, to understand its truths and apply them to our everyday lives. This is especially true of the Old Testament, a collection of books too seldom read or understood by Christians today.

I have a deep conviction that the Old Testament is both valuable and reliable. For example, the life of Joseph speaks directly to those of us who are angry and considering revenge. King David knew what it was like to be lonely and unsure about God’s will; reading his words in the book of Psalms can bring us great comfort. When we experience the pain and confusion that come when bad things stack up against us for no apparent reason, the book of Job rings with relevance.

With this in mind, we have developed a practical resource to help you as you seek to grow in your knowledge of this neglected part of the Bible. Insight’s Old Testament Handbook: A Practical Look at Each Book offers a clear and concise picture of each one of the Old Testament’s thirty-nine books. From identifying the author and the setting to highlighting the significant themes that make the biblical book unique, this volume will help you to realize how the Old Testament books can make a difference in your life.

One of our most important goals at Insight for Living is to help you grasp, claim, and apply God’s timeless Word. We strive to accomplish that goal on every broadcast and with every resource we produce. Our heart’s desire is that you and our other listeners would take God’s Word seriously.

If God has used the teaching of His Word through Insight for Living in your life, will you please consider supporting us with a generous donation today? Together, our friends and listeners sustain this ministry month after month . . . and I could not be more grateful. Our expenses are a daily challenge. I know you understand; this year has offered financial hardship for most of us. Your response is vital to our ability to stay on track financially as we head into the final weeks of 2009.

Please let me hear from you soon; we are counting on your support. And be sure to request your copy of Insight’s Old Testament Handbook.

One of my favorite Scripture verses is found in the Old Testament book of Isaiah: “The grass withers, the flower fades, / But the word of our God stands forever” (40:8). Though ancient, the Bible has never lost its relevance. Though battered, no one has ever improved on its content. Though old, it never fails to offer something pure, something wise, and something new.