Many people are familiar with Thomas Edison as a genius inventor, but few people can name all his inventions. Unknowingly to many, a lot of these inventions were refined over time and are with us today. One such creation is the Kinetograph and Kinetoscope.

In the late 1880s, Edison began experimenting with an idea to create a device that would “do for the eye what the phonograph did for the ear.” Before submitting a note of his intentions with the patent office, he had received a visit from one of the early pioneers of moving pictures, Eadweard Muybridge but turned him down. He saw the potential in the idea but thought there to be a better way to produce “moving images.”

Finally, on August 31, 1897, almost ten years after submitting his intention with the patent office and with considerable help from his assistant, William Kennedy Laurie Dickson, Edison patented the Kinetograph and the Kinetoscope. Shortly after the Kinetoscope’s invention, he founded a studio and began producing movies.

Not long after launching his movies, others began improving his idea, such as adding sound to the moving pictures. The movie industry and technology continued to evolve over the ensuing years into what we have today. Thanks to Edison and all that followed after him, movies now document events, tell stories, and teach.

This story reminds me of the Bible. The Bible is God’s word written by a collection of divinely inspired authors documenting his love for us, encouragement from others’ lives, instructions of how to live our lives, and the promise of eternal life through Christ. It’s our guidebook for this life in preparation of the life to come.

Daily Directive:

Answer and Journal the Following

Read:

Read and meditate on Hebrews 4:12. 

Pray:

What do you believe about the Bible and what makes you think that? Be real; be honest.

Meditate / Make It Real:

Pray and ask God to show you the truth in His word and how to apply it. Create a plan on how to be consistent in your reading. Be specific.

Share / Show:

Share this with a fellow brother and have them hold you accountable.