We live in a world where material possessions have almost become our ruling passion. We evaluate ourselves by seeing who has the most toys, the most clothes, the most cars. But stop and think for a moment. What if (and I realize this is a big what if) for some reason all of your possessions were taken from you except one? Suppose you were lost on that famous desert island and could only save one thing from the shipwreck, what would it be? I myself have thought about this on occasion. I have realized that there is nothing I own that, if pushed to it, I couldn't live without; not a book, not a CD, not a stitch of clothing would be necessary. Except for one very special book: my Bible.

There is a line in the movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark" where the villain, Belloq, describes the Ark of the Covenant as "a radio for talking to God". To me, that is what the Bible is. I talk to God through prayer. He talks to me through the Word. Not long ago, I was sitting in the waiting room of a county jail, waiting to bailout my brother. I was left sitting there for hours, with no one telling me anything. I didn't even know what the charges were. I was surrounded by strange and unfriendly people and I was feeling very small. I was understandably upset and felt very alone. I picked up my pocket New Testament to pass the time and opened it directly to John 14:27, which says, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." I no longer felt alone or quite as upset.

The Bible is filled with verses and passages that can offer us many things at different times in our lives. Besides giving comfort, it soothes my fears. When I am afraid, I read Psalms 23:4, which says, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me". When I get discouraged I read Philippians 4:13, which says, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me". And when I feel unable to cope with a situation, I read Zechariah 4:6, which says in part, "Not by might, nor by power but by my spirit saith the Lord".

To Christians the Bible is the word of God. Yet even to the non- believer the Bible can be many kinds of books rolled into one. Many people consider the Bible as a great example of a literary achievement. But if you take a broader view you'll find it to be much more than that. It is probably one of the most (if not the most) detailed history book dealing with a period of time little is known about. It contains some beautiful and diverse poetry from the books of Job, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon and lovely songs from the book of Psalms. If philosophy is your thing, then the New Testament teachings of Christ and Apostle Paul are the places to read. In this day and age of how-to books, the Bible is a major work in the field: how to pray, how to fast, how to love your fellow man, how to reach the Kingdom of the Lord. And if your interest is genealogy, then the Bible begats should put you in ecstasy.

When I travel I buy lots of maps and a guidebook. With them I can go anywhere. Without them I probably couldn't get across town. The Bible is my guidebook for my life's journey. It helps me stay on the right path, and even when Satan gets me to take a detour, it shows me how to get back to the main road. It contains the promises of God to be fulfilled if I succeed in following the right path, as if warnings of His wrath if I fail. It is my weapon in the war against Satan and in the war against myself. It is the fuel I need to grow and to continue down the road. Without it I would simply run out of gas.

Of course, any Bible would serve these purposes. But if I could be given a choice as to which of my Bibles I could keep if I could only have one possession, the choice would be simple and clear. Without a doubt, the one I'd keep would be the old and torn, scuffed and battered Bible I have had with me since I was a child. I was given this Bible by the first church I ever attended. Even though I stopped attending church for a long time I never gave up possession of this Bible. Now, despite the torn binding and the frayed edges, it is my most prized treasure. I mark my favorite or most needed verses in it. It lays beside my pillow at night when I go to sleep. It has become a symbol to me, a symbol of the journey I began as a child being introduced to the gospel for the first time. The journey eventually took me away from the church and its teachings and finally brought me back again. The marked and scarred appearance of this Bible only underscores the symbolism. I, too, carry scars from the journey, scars that are healing. My Bible will always remind me of the price I paid for taking the long way around. And all that I will gain when I reach the journey's end.

End