IN THE African desert during the Allied campaign against Rommel's German AfricaKorps, many American soldiers found themselves in situations that caused great fear for their lives. The devastation caused by the German "88" artillery and the dreaded Stuka aircraft took their toll on the courage of those young soldiers fighting in the front lines.

Many soldiers were unafraid to call upon God to protect their lives during the intense desert fighting. There was, however, one "atheist" who was frequently observed ridiculing the God-fearing soldiers. He would belittle those that he found praying to a power that he believed did not exist. His position was that if there were an omnipotent God, he would not allow good people to die on the battlefield or by any other cruel means.

Ironically, during the intensity of one particular battle with shells dropping furiously while pinning down his unit to hastily dug foxholes, he too was observed praying aloud to the God he so recently had denied. It was that impending need for a Saviour that reversed his previous blasphemous thinking.

When our lives are prosperous and safe we sometimes tend to ignore our God. Yet Solomon was quick to recognize a most important need of mankind: "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."