Daily Jewel

by Pastor J.T. Carnell, McAlester, OK

“A Chance Encounter”
“You’re blessed when you meet Lady Wisdom, when you make friends with Madame Insight." – Proverbs 3:13 (The Message)

I remember several years ago a commercial for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cupsã. A man was walking down the street eating a chocolate bar while another man was eating peanut butter out of jar. Being absorbed in their own self-indulgence they did not see each other until they collided with each other. The one man’s chocolate ended up in the jar of peanut butter. If you remember the line, “You got peanut butter on my chocolate!” The other exclaimed, “You got chocolate on my peanut butter!” Then low and behold – a masterpiece was created! One that I rather enjoy myself! In another chance meeting, Jesus met a young fisherman by the name of Andrew who in turn found his brother, Simon, whom he introduced to Jesus. (John 1:40) This encounter would not only change Simon’s life, the man we know as Peter, but it would be the beginning of the movement that would change the world. I love the language of this verse from The Message. It says we are “blessed” when we meet “Wisdom.” Our lives are enriched and complete when both the heart and the mind of the Living God enter in. The very purpose of our existence takes on a new meaning when we allow Christ the opportunity to lead us. I remember my freshman year in college during that first week known as “initiation” week. Several of us were together and I overheard one guy state, “I am going to find the popular group and get in with them. I plan to make a name for myself while I am here.” He did and was class vice-president in his senior year. But that kind of fame is fleeting and from what I have gathered from my classmates, his life has been less than productive since. There was a scientist who thought religion was nonsense. He began having health problems, which led to some serious financial problems which in turn led to problems within his home. Many of his experiments failed. One day he made a pilgrimage to a shrine – mostly to get away from his troubles at work and at home. At the shrine he said to himself, "If I were not an agnostic, I might experiment with this superstition of religion." After convincing himself that he was going through the motions out of idle curiosity, he began the ritual. Halfway through, he thought, "If this were not folly, what would I pray for? Health? Money?" He continued the ritual, then suddenly he cried, "O God, I beg you. Enlighten my mind so I may invent something great to further our human knowledge!" Amazed, the scientist stood in a stunned silence. For the first time he realized what his true desires and motives were and for the first time he acknowledged that it was only through God that those motives could be achieved. Knowing this at last, Galileo began experiments which led to the invention of the telescope. People search for years trying to "find themselves" when they could same time and heartache by seeking God! Like Galileo, once they find the Lord they will truly find themselves! God says, “Find Me. Get involved with Me! You will not regret it.”
Pastor J. T. Carnell