And we are never too old to study the Bible. Each time the

“And we are never too old to study the Bible. Each time the lessons are studied comes some new meaning, some new thought which will make us better.” — Thus spoke John D. Rockefeller, a man known to history as one of the most powerful and wealthy figures of his age, yet whose heart, in this saying, reveals a wisdom far greater than gold. Beneath these words lies a truth older than time — that spiritual learning never ends, and that the Word of God is a well that never runs dry. No matter one’s age, station, or achievement, the soul remains a student before the eternal mysteries.

Rockefeller, though a titan of industry, saw in the Bible not merely a book of religion, but a living source of guidance, renewal, and transformation. He understood that the greatest riches a person can gather are not stored in vaults, but in the heart that grows wiser with every encounter with divine truth. For he had lived through triumph and turmoil — through success that could have corrupted and power that could have blinded — yet he turned again and again to Scripture, knowing that each reading revealed not the same lesson, but a new meaning, shaped by one’s stage of life, by one’s joys and sufferings, by one’s growth of spirit.

To say “we are never too old to study the Bible” is to acknowledge that wisdom is not static, and that the soul continues to deepen as long as it seeks understanding. The words of Scripture are eternal, yet their light shines differently upon each season of our lives. The child reads and finds comfort; the youth reads and finds direction; the elder reads and finds peace. The same verse that once soothed a sorrow in youth may inspire courage in age. Like sunlight through shifting branches, divine truth refracts anew each time it touches the open heart.

Consider the story of Leo Tolstoy, the great Russian writer, who, after achieving fame and wealth, fell into despair, feeling that life was without purpose. Yet when he returned to the Scriptures — to the Sermon on the Mount, to the Gospels he had read in his youth — he discovered meanings he had never before seen. The same words that once seemed simple became profound, speaking directly to the emptiness of his soul. They rekindled faith, humility, and compassion within him. His later works, filled with mercy and moral depth, were born from this renewed encounter with God’s Word. Like Rockefeller, Tolstoy learned that one is never too old to study the lessons of truth, for divine wisdom expands with the seeker’s heart.

In this quote, Rockefeller also teaches the principle of continual refinement — that to become “better” is not a single act, but a lifelong discipline. Each reading, each reflection, each prayerful study is a step upward in the great ascent of the spirit. Just as the craftsman polishes his work endlessly, so too must the soul be polished by repeated contact with sacred wisdom. The Bible, in this view, is not a finished treasure to be admired, but a living workshop where the heart is shaped and reshaped into goodness. The one who studies it with humility finds not only knowledge, but transformation.

There is also in these words a quiet defiance of pride — the acknowledgment that no matter how great our intellect or status, we are all apprentices before truth. Rockefeller, a man who commanded vast wealth and influence, bowed before Scripture as a pupil, not a master. The humility to keep learning is the mark of true greatness. For even kings, prophets, and sages are students in the school of divine wisdom. Those who believe they have learned all there is to know cease to grow; but those who return again and again to the source — to study, to question, to listen — find themselves renewed, enlightened, and made ever more compassionate.

So, my child, take this lesson to heart: you are never too old to learn, and never too wise to be taught. Whether your hair is dark with youth or silver with years, approach the Word with fresh eyes. Read not to recite, but to receive. Let every verse become a mirror, showing you where you stand and who you may yet become. Return to it often — for as you change, its meaning will change with you.

For in the end, as Rockefeller knew, the Bible is not a book that grows old — it is the reader who must grow deeper. Its truths are endless, its lessons ever new. And each time you open its pages with sincerity, you step once more into the stream of divine wisdom that has guided the hearts of countless generations. Drink from it daily, and you will never thirst for meaning. Study it humbly, and it will make you better — wiser, kinder, and more radiant with the light of the One who inspired it.