The Great Unknown

INTRODUCTION: ‘From Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Tributaries, John Wesley Powell’s account of his epic journey running the Green and Colorado rivers in 1869. Powell’s journey in wooden boats with nine other men took him into places where no white man had ever made a footprint, including the Grand Canyon.’

As we entered 2013 I wanted to share an excerpt from this ‘story’ in one of my favorite collection of classic survival stories. The excerpt is the August 21^st journal entry of John Wesley Powell in what has come to be known as ‘The Great Unknown’.

As we consider the state of our country morally, financially, and spiritually, I think this story is a very fitting picture of where we have been and where we are heading.  Sin is rampant in our states and violence is everywhere but one can’t help but think that we are responsible. With prayer and the Ten Commandments having been taken from our schools, Evolution, Humanism, and Relativism all being taught. Socialistic ideas are not only on the rise but now prevalent; ideas of a union of men apart from Christ. Thank God that we have signs also of an awakened church and revival among many youth.

“August 21^st ~ We start early this morning, cheered by the prospect of a fine day and encouraged also by the good run made yesterday. (America’s yesteryear has had some good runs) A quarter of a mile below camp the river turns abruptly to the left (we’ve turned left), and between camp and that point is very swift, running down in a long, broken chute and piling up against the foot of the cliff, where it turns to the left.

“We try to pull across, so as to go down on the other side, but the waters are swift and it seems impossible for us to escape the rock below; but in pulling across, the bow of the boat is turned to the farther shore, so that we are swept broadside down and are prevented by the rebounding waters from striking against the wall. (We’ve had many close calls) We toss about for a few seconds in these billows and are then carried past the danger.

“Below, the river turns again to the right, the canyon is very narrow, and we see in advance but a short distance. The water, too, is very swift, and there is no landing-place. From around this curve there comes a mad roar, and down we are carried with a dizzying velocity to the head of another rapid. On either side high over our heads there are overhanging granite walls, and the sharp bends cut off our view, so that a few minutes will carry us into unknown waters. (Year after year we rush forward)

“Away we go on one long, winding chute. I stand on deck, supporting myself with a strap fastened on either side of the gunwale. The boat glides rapidly where the water is smooth, then, striking a wave, she leaps and bounds like a thing of life, and we have a wild, exhilarating ride of ten miles, which we make in less than an hour. The excitement is so great that we forget the danger until we hear the roar of the great falls below;” (So here we wait ready to plummet over into the great unknown)

If our country is to succeed we will need to back off on our oars and, while if we can find a lull, pull out of the waters that will begin again to run swiftly and ever faster toward destruction. We need to find a landing. Stable ground. The church must lead the way.

Jesus said in His sermon on the mount, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.” (Matt. 7:24-25) We need to return to the old time religion and walk in right paths. We need to once again build our homes on the Rock.

The excerpt I share ends with “then we back on our oars and are carried slowly toward its head and succeed in landing just above and find that we have to make another portage.” We may have to make another long portage to find a safer passage then the one we have known. This country, and this world, is headed into ruin but it need not be on our watch. The immediate future may indeed be a great unknown but I am holding out with many others for another great awakening and revival in our communities, states, and whole regions in 2013.

Let’s not be foolish and build our houses on washing away sands.
Let’s heed Jesus’ warning and return to His principles once again.
Let’s confess together the sins of our nation and her people.
Let’s put away pride and contentions and warring and
let us intercede in humble repentance for revival.
Let’s allow Him to increase in our lives as
we decrease in our own self evaluations.

If we will see revival…
He must increase! WE must decrease!