The Nugget:
Psalm 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. (KJV)
Psa 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. (ESV)
Psa 138:7 Even when trouble is round me, you will give me life; your hand will be stretched out against the wrath of my haters, and your right hand will be my salvation. (BBE, Basic English Bible)
Psa 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me alive. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my enemies, and you save me with your right hand. (LEB, Lexham English Bible)
Psa 138:7 Even though I walk into the middle of trouble, you guard my life against the anger of my enemies. You stretch out your hand, and your right hand saves me. (GW, God’s Word translation)
Psa 138:7 I am surrounded by trouble, but you protect me against my angry enemies. With your own powerful arm you keep me safe. (CEV, Contemporary English Version)
My Comment:
Thirty-eight years ago, on this date, March 13, 1986, on that Thursday morning at 7:15 am, I was shot in the back of the head by a never identified assailant wielding a nine millimeter handgun. I was knocked flat on the ground in the melting snow and mud of the back teachers parking lot of Southeastern High School.
I did not return to teaching until the fall of 1990 when I was assigned to Denby High School, where I taught English until I retired from teaching twenty-three years ago.
During my time off from teaching, I completed two major tasks. I developed an introductory chapter to my Language Enrichment Program as a result of tutoring a local third grade student. That chapter enables readers of any skill level to successfully work through the rest of my reading program. My reading program is now available on Amazon almost anywhere in the world. You can search for and find it easily by searching under the “book” category then entering my name, Jerome Smith, or the title, The Language Enrichment Program. In its 350 page printed book form it is priced $20. In Kindle format, it costs $10. Anyone who uses this program and follows its directions carefully will experience improvement in reading comprehension, reading speed, and reading motivation. Some users of my reading program report they can write better after using it.
The second major task I completed was the creation of a new Bible study tool to help ordinary readers of the Bible understand the Bible better. This book, first released in 1992, then released digitally in 1996, and now re-released in much corrected form in 2023, with an additionally improved digital edition coming soon, is an expanded collection of cross references to nearly every verse in the Bible. The book, titled The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, is arranged just like a Bible. By looking up any verse in the Bible, you can find the many other verses in the Bible that explain or shed further light on that verse.
Our society as a whole is in deep trouble. Institutions that were once trusted to do their job fairly and honestly no longer do so. Our current leadership is incompetent, misdirected, wrongly intentioned, up to no good, and constantly telling lies. The major news sources that could once be depended upon to let us know what is going on are no longer serving in their protected first amendment duty but are hiding the truth, mocking the truth, denying the truth by foisting on the public their agenda-driven opinion and not the facts. The media, too, are constantly telling lies. To suggest that carbon dioxide is a pollutant that is a root cause of so-called climate change and global warming shows how ill-informed anyone who believes such nonsense is. Utility companies, their leadership, their boards of directors, and state public utility commissions and regulatory agencies are equally unknowledgeable regarding green energy and the actual laws of physics. Those who promote the wide use of all-electric vehicles likewise demonstrate their lack of knowledge of basic science and the laws (not suggestions) of physics.
To equip yourself against all the disinformation and misinformation being promulgated by the government and the media, read basic reliable sources about science, especially physics. Don’t depend upon Google and other Internet sources alone. Read books published by reputable publishers written by knowledgeable authors who are not agenda driven by warped ideologies. If you really have not done much book study since you left college or high school, use my “reading ladder” approach. Find a book from the children’s section of the public library, followed by a book from the young adult section of the library, followed by a book from the adult section of the library on the subject. Read the three books in that order. The easiest book will prepare you to read the middle difficulty book; the middle difficulty book will prepare you to read the adult level book successfully. Once you have read three non-fiction books on the same subject you will know much more than most people do about it.
To make the “reading ladder” approach even more effective, buy and work through my Language Enrichment Program.
As I see it, and as I have directly experienced it, our communities and our nation are lacking academically and morally. I have addressed both issues head on by creating the tools which most certainly can and will correct both problems. It is now up to everyone to be a part of the solution by using these tools and encouraging others to do likewise.