My Irreplaceable Bible

Editorial by Tim Bailey

Like many Seventh-day Adventist members in the Columbia Union Conference, I own many Bibles. My most meaningful Bible is one I’ve owned since 1983—a wide-margin New King James Version. As a colporteur, then a Bible worker, then an evangelist, and now a pastor and president, I have marked up that Bible during Bible studies; I have underlined difficult passages, writing notes and references in it; and I have used it to help write countless hours of sermon notes.

It was my most prized possession.

In the summer of 2022, upon returning to the airport’s parking lot, my Hyundai Santa Fe had fallen victim to the TikTok challenge of stealing Hyundais. I stood where my car had once been parked, but now only broken glass and a Hyundai logo remained. My car had been stolen! Once reality set in, I called the police and filed a police report and insurance claim.

Of course, losing my vehicle was extremely upsetting, but realizing that my favorite Bible had been in the back seat of my car absolutely sickened me. In fact, I was more upset about the Bible than the car; the car could be replaced, but not my Bible.

A year later, at a worker’s meeting, I retold this story to a pastor, sharing how sad I still was about losing my precious Bible. Right then and there, he offered up a prayer, asking God to perform a miracle and reunite me with my treasured possession.

After the prayer, I told him, “But Jimmy, I have resolved it’s gone!”

He responded, “Well, I have faith; you will see, you’re going to get it back.”

Fast-forward nine months. My adult son came home for a visit and went to the basement to look for some personal items. He returned, inquiring why my stuff was in his bin.

A couple of days later, I went downstairs to retrieve my belongings. To my astonishment, my missing Bible was gracefully sitting on top of the clutter. How did it get there? To this day, I do not know. What I do know is that God answered Jimmy’s prayer!

God cares for each one of us. We can come to Him with anything— big or small—for He listens to our requests and answers accordingly. Maybe God has put someone on your heart who is in need of Jesus. Pray for that person! And continue to pray for Pentecost 2025—a movement to preach the gospel to North America and beyond—so that more people will see, feel and experience God’s love and care.

Tim Bailey serves as the president of the Mountain View Conference.