Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK
Feb. 9, 2012

“Saved”
“…do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you…” – Proverbs 4:6

“Wisdom is the quality that keeps you from getting into situations where you need it.” – Doug Larson

Great advice…both from Solomon and from Doug Larson. Now here is the million dollar question…How do you follow through with this? How do you use God’s wisdom for your benefit? Or…how do you know you are using it?
Actually the key from my perspective in this verse is that of “protection.” The purpose of wisdom is not to make us smarter—richer—stronger—but safer! I want to take this to a bit of a different level here. In Christianity we have a number of different words to describe the work that Christ does in our lives. Our salvation experience is intended to redeem us—restore our hearts and souls back to the condition where they were intended to be in their original state. When I think of being saved I picture someone being “rescued” from a hopeless situation. After the recent earthquake in Haiti we witnessed a number of people being rescued from the rubble. After the rescue the person is taken to a place that is safe where they can heal.
A life without Christ is a hopeless life. It offers no direction—purpose—hope. Living life in this way is not a “safe” existence. To better illustrate this I want to give an example from a pastor friend of mine.
“The young mother was serious when she asked me the question. At first, it caught me off guard. She had called to ask if I could meet with her. She said she had some questions about what Christians believe. I was happy to visit with her. Here was the question she asked: “What does it mean to be saved?”
She was not a member of any church. In fact, she didn’t attend church. She had not been raised in a family that attended church. She said she didn’t know anything about the Bible. She had enrolled her daughter in a church-run pre-school near where they lived. When her daughter repeated at home things she had learned at school, the mother became interested. As simply as possible, I shared with her what the Bible taught about finding peace with God. We prayed together. She left. I placed her on my email list where I send out regular notes of encouragement to a number of people. Two years passed. Several months ago this young mother became depressed and attempted suicide. She entered counseling in her home town. She decided it was time to try church. She visited the church where her daughter attended pre-school. Here is how she describes the experience:
“When I entered the church that day, my feelings of fear, ignorance, anxiety, and hopelessness lifted and were gone. The pastor spoke about accepting Christ as Savior and gave an invitation. I responded on that very first Sunday, with my daughter’s teacher by my side and two other teachers following. I accepted Christ as Savior. I started a new life that day—I had no prior knowledge of the Bible or church. I had feared for 30 years that people would scorn me for my ignorance of the Bible. I now know the only thing that matters is inside me and my open desire to learn from the Lord and to follow the path he has for me.”
Last Sunday—two months after accepting Jesus Christ into her life—she was baptized. I was there. She is on her way. In her testimony read during her baptism, this is how she concluded her statement of belief: “Now I am active in all church functions. I am going to Sunday school and starting a discipleship class soon. I am eager to learn from God’s word and become the best Christian wife and mother I can be.”
In his book, To Timothy and All Other Disciples, Reuben Welch said, “I wish there was a way to take the word saved and spread it out and make it bigger than we normally think about it. Behind the word saved is the big word salvation, which I have come to believe is about the biggest word in God’s Book.”
Wisdom is accepting Jesus! The wisest decision we will ever make. That acceptance will then protect our soul from ultimate destruction. In Him, we have a safe harbor that no storm can harm.
Pastor J. T. Carnell