Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I may not sin against thee. - Psalm 119:11

After God created this beautiful and wonderful world, he created man to be the sole caretaker of the same. Later, he admitted that it was not good for man to be alone and provided a helpmate for him - woman in the very beauty of the earth, the Garden of Eden. Instructions were given to have the use of everything, except the fruit. Man's disobedience brought imperfection into an otherwise perfect world.

With this happening, a plan for man's redemption was on the way. No matter what is said, believed, and practiced among many, that there is no God, it does not matter your station, position, color or creed, the end result of our existence on earth remains the same for every living soul - dust you were made from and to dust shall you return.

Today, with the help of biblical scholars, I pray that you be blessed, revived, and immersed in the word of God as your moral, social, and spiritual compass for your life's journey.

The Bible is the oldest book in existence. Men have endeavored by every means possible to banish it from the face of the Earth. They have hidden it, burned it, made it a crime punishable with death to have it in possession, and the most bitter and relentless persecutions have been waged against those who had faith in it, but still the book lives.

Today many of its foes "slumber" in death, and hundreds of volumes written to discredit it and overthrow its influence, are long since forgotten. The fact that this book has survived so many centuries, notwithstanding such unparalleled efforts to banish and destroy it, is at least strong circumstantial evidence that the great being whom it claims as its author has also been its preserver.

The Bible is not a book to be read merely; it is a book to be studied with care and thought for God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and his way than our ways. Like a needle in a haystack, we must earnestly seek the word of God to find hidden treasures - all in the book!

I have been attending the National Prayer Breakfast of America since President Ronald Reagan's time, and the main thrust is servant leadership as exemplified by Jesus of Nazareth. So many people who have been reading the Bible for years, still don't really know who Jesus of Nazareth is in the fullest power of his might and glory. They know so many other characters, but Jesus is not really the main center of their spiritual attention. I remember how we sang in Sunday school, "Everybody ought to know who Jesus is" and we went on to single out the many ways in which he is known.

We are in the 50th year of being an independent nation, and as a people were known to believe in the one true God coexisting with the Son and the Holy Ghost, but in some cases there are calls inviting us to turn away from God and the Bible. I shared with someone recently that social media has its lol, and I have my "kol" - keep on living. Why get depressed when the ways of many are leading to destruction. When traveling by air, I always listen to the instructions given by the stewardess and that is to put on your life first and then assist others who are not able to do so. In life, everyone has a life jacket and if they refuse to use, it will be they who will perish. The word of God is our life jacket for our survival no matter what the situation may be.

My late father died in 1980 and before his death we were riding going somewhere, and I complained to him of always being called upon to perform social tasks. His reply was, "Any water they put you in, you will swim." It took me many years to realize the phrase "they put you in." Such is the case dear readers, for many of you as you face incredible difficulties, snares and setbacks, The word of God will help you with your life jacket; the word of God will help you to make it safely to shore.

Even if we cannot read, technology has come our way to hear the Bible read to you.

• E-mail haystreet241@gmail.com or rubyanndarling@yahoo.com. Write to P.O. Box, 19725 SS Nassau, Bahamas, with your prayer requests, concerns and comments. God's blessings. 

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