Daily Jewel

by Pastor J.T. Carnell, McAlester, OK

“The Power of Truth!” “Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right.” – Proverbs 8:6 In a book titled, “A Father For All Seasons”, Bob Welch writes: “Last summer, my son Jason was a seventh-grader playing in a seventh/eighth-grade baseball league. A fire-armed pitcher-more than a foot taller than my 4 foot 9 inch son, blazed a fastball right down the pike. Strike one. The second pitch scorched across the plate for a called strike two. The third pitch, unintentionally I'm sure, came right at Jason. He turned to avoid being hit and fell to the ground. His bat went flying. His helmet bounced off. The ball seemed to have skimmed his shoulder.” "Take your base," the umpire yelled. Standing in the third-base coach's box, I was happy just seeing Jason alive, much less getting a free base. "It didn't hit me," Jason said to the ump. "Take your base, son," said the ump. Our fans were most likely thinking the same thing I was thinking: Take your base, son. You've been wounded, soldier; your war's over. You're going home... "But honest, it didn't hit me," Jason pleaded. The umpire looked at Jason and out to the infield ump who just shrugged his shoulders. “Okay," said the ump, "the count is one ball and two strikes." Should I intervene? Make him take his base? Jason was already digging in his cleats in the batter's box. I mentally shrugged and headed back to the coach's box. The towering pitcher rocked and fired. A bullet right down the middle of the plate. The kind of pitch that would send a kid to the dugout. Instead, Jason ripped the ball into left-center for a stand-up double. Our crowd roared. The manager of the team in the field was standing a few feet behind me. He had no idea that the kid on second base was my son. He spit out his sunflower seeds and slowly shook his head. "Man," he said, "you gotta love that!" We have become accustomed to voices coming from about every direction imaginable. Radio…television…computers…cell phones…ipods…and the list goes on. Each of these mediums are all broadcasting their own pitch—vying for our attention and seeking our affection as well. Unfortunately, these voices do not always have our best interest in mind and they are all self-seeking. Even in the illustration above the young batter was probably getting advice from his father, the umpire, his teammates, the people in the stands…telling him what he should do—but when it came down to making his decision he knew the truth and he stood by that. It makes the story far nobler by the fact that he gets a hit—but even if he had struck out—he could not escape the truth. Hold out for the truth in everything you do! Your home—business—even pleasure! Let the truth hold your attention and affection. Let it be your strength and it will guide you through when you need it the most!