by Nan Keltie

Created on: March 25, 2008   Last Updated: June 28, 2008

The Wealth in My Wallet

I got the idea from my husband, who always keeps a twenty tucked away for unexpected occasions. Me? I keep fifty-four ... no more and no less. Sometimes I take my fifty-four out and finger it - folding and unfolding it lovingly. All the while, I dream about how I'd like to invest it.

Where did I get the fifty-four? It all started the day a page fell out of my Bible and landed on the floor. It wasn't the first time it happened. This particular Bible, one I still treasure from twenty years ago, is falling apart section by section. The Psalms hang on by mere threads.

Just what do you do with a worn out Bible, anyway? Do you donate it to a rescue mission, bury it in a time capsule or frame it like a cherished memento? I've never been able to figure that out. So my old Bibles, four or five of them, are packed away for safekeeping. They are faded and fragile, but I can't toss them. That would be like telling your best friend to go jump off a cliff.

The day page 767 fell to the floor, I picked it up and read fifty-four verses about God's powerful plan to preserve His people. Just that week I'd been reading about Christians in other countries who were imprisoned for their faith. Some were beaten and tortured, others were locked away, separated from those who love them. They have no Bibles; the Word of God they've hidden in their hearts is their comfort.

Picturing myself as a persecuted saint, I slowly read over Psalm 139:2-143:1 again. Plain but powerful words, they were printed on the flimsy page resting in my palm. I spoke them aloud, with feeling, and God's Word washed over me anew, cleansing, refreshing, encouraging me.

Our Good Shepherd tenderly cares for His children. Can you imagine just how precious this truth must be to those suffering for their faith? His Word, hidden in their hearts, reminds them that He is ever present with them and will somehow work all things for their good and His glory. God's Word is powerful and can never be bound.

I continued reading through those 54 verses of comfort. Many actually address God's merciful dealings with His people during their toughest times. How I longed to share the wealth in my palm with a suffering soul! I wished for a way to smuggle this thin leaflet of hope and light to a sister or brother crouching in a dark dungeon far away! It would be something tangible to hold onto, something to treasure. Fifty four verses to read and memorize.

This wealth in my wallet is a reminder of God's omnipotence. It reminds me that no darkness can ever snuff out the light of truth. No chains will bind His almighty arm when He reaches down to aid and comfort His suffering servants. I am blessed to be reading this scrap of scripture. I feel so undeserving of the freedom to hold it with no fear of persecution.

Fingering it lovingly, I am connected in heart with my Father in heaven. Just a simple slip of paper, but it means a lot to me. Folding it carefully into thirds, I slip it back into my wallet and tuck it behind a library card. The time will come when this fragile piece of paper breaks down and disintegrates. Before that happens, I hope to transfer those 54 verses to another place for safekeeping. My heart.

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