Wonderful Words Of Life

Johnny Bartek grew up in Freehold, New Jersey. He attended one year of high school before “flunking out” at age 16. For the next several years he worked at various jobs but could not find one that he enjoyed. Dissatisfied with his opportunities at home he decided to join the Army Air Force soon after turning 18. He became a flight mechanic and was aboard the aircraft carrying Captain Eddie Rickenbacker that was lost at sea because of bad weather and inadequate navigation equipment. The crew spent three weeks at sea in a crowded life raft and all but one survived the horrific, harrowing ordeal.

Very few supplies were on the raft and after three days they ran out of food and water. One of the few items on the raft was a Bible. The inscription in the Bible read “A Sacred Token, to John F. Bartek by the First Baptist Church, Freehold, NJ, April 7, 1942.”

On the eighth day, a few minutes after they read a portion of Scripture from the Bible, a seagull landed on the head of Captain Rickenbacker which became food and fish bait to help keep the men alive until they were rescued. The men on the raft believed that it was a sign from God.

What verse did they read? “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’...for...your Heavenly Father knows that you need them.”

Many years before those eight men on that raft needed nourishment the Psalmist wrote, “He sent forth His Word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave.”

Prayer: How faithful You are, Father, to keep Your Word, meet our every need and protect us from danger. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 107:20 He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.