Daily Jewel

Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK
Nov. 10, 2011

“Do We Know Where We are Going?”
“Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track..." – Proverbs 3:6 (The Message)

Have you noticed in this verse where it says, “He will keep you on track?” That puts the responsibility of our lives squarely on His shoulders. Does that mean we are then free to do what we want – believing He is working for us? That, my friend is dangerous territory and needs to be addressed.
Think about this verse this way: Most of us drive every day. The roads we travel are typically very well marked. People spent many years both creating those roads and for the most part keeping them maintained. Regardless of how straight they are or should they take a number of curves – as long as we follow the “path” marked out there is a safety factor that will protect us most of the time.
There are other factors as well. Stop signs…speed limits…and speed suggestions. There are solid yellow lines that indicate it is not safe to pass. If at any point we make the decision to ignore any of the safety factors put in place we endanger ourselves and others who could also be traveling on that road.
There is a word that to me really applies to this verse…INFLUENCE. What we see and experience should give us the path in which to follow.
When I think about influence, I think of the Amazon River. There is no river like it anywhere in the world. The Amazon is not only the largest river in the world by volume, but it is more than a thousand miles longer than the continental Unites States is wide! It touches six nations: Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, and Venezuela. According to one source, during the rainy season the depth of the river at some points is over a hundred feet! The estuary (its width at its mouth) is 207 miles! The Amazon is responsible for about one-fifth of the total volume of all fresh water flowing into the oceans of the world. One of the more interesting facts about this giant body of water is how far the Amazon influences the ocean waters beyond the coast line. The river flow of fresh water into the Atlantic is greater than the next top ten largest rivers flowing into the oceans combined! The salinity (salt content) of the ocean waters is affected (notably lower) more than a hundred miles out to sea. It’s like “the salt of the earth” reversed.
Many years ago a Christian researcher traced nearly 750 descendants of Jonathan Edwards, one of New England’s greatest preachers and theologians of the Eighteenth Century. Of those descendants, 300 became preachers, 65 were college professors, 13 were university presidents, 60 authored books, 23 became United States Congressmen, and one became vice-president of the United States. Most of these outstanding persons were not directly influenced by Jonathan Edwards and his godly wife. But the Christian example left by that dedicated couple undoubtedly influenced a direction—a course of life—that their descendants saw and followed.
Like circles created when we drop a rock in a pond, our sphere of influence—for good or evil—spreads in all directions, touching lives and nations, creating memories, and leading to the formation of values. I like to call these values “layers of influence.” One life touching another. One family touching another.
Do you know where you are going in this life? The path is marked out, simply and clearly. There is a good chance you know others who have followed that path and followed successfully. Let’s hope we all do the same!
Pastor J. T. Carnell