I was about 7 years old and we always enjoyed flying in my dad's Cessna 172. One day, I was excited about flying and said I wanted to fly the plane. AS we approched the runway for take-off, I hoped my dad wouldn't make me take the plane off as the reality of what we were doing hit me. As we came into take-off position, my dad offered me the controls of the plane. Giving a child too much responsibility too fast can really be detrimental. A career as a pilot may have ended that day. But, "all things work together for good, for those who love God and are called according to His purpose." 7-year olds shouldn't be flying planes. Sadly, years ago, something like this ended in tragedy. And I wasn't meant to be a commercial pilot without question. This wasn't where my skills were. If I had become a commercial pilot, I would have been dead long ago and probably people with me. So, my dad saved my life that day with his parenting mistake. And he did let me fly the plane eventually up in the air and helped me to have a successful experience. He was a great pilot and teacher in the end by his examples of generosity and tough parenting. Years later, I was an incorrigible kid in some ways, and didn't want to obey my father. He taught me another hard lesson-- willful disobedience to your father can lead to bad things. I found myself on a plane going 600 mph away from home.
The latest lesson on how this all worked out for a victory is I have been overwhelmed by many things--- "multiple bogies!", Maverick would say, and the Lord reassured me in a dream which is a good lesson for us as Christians. In the dream, I had boarded a passenger jet and was apprehensive thinking I had to fly the plane, just like the childhood lesson.
What was the lesson?
As Christians, we don't have to worry about flying the plane in life's thunderstorms--too much lightning, and deadly danger. Sometimes, we just have to sit back, relax, and trust the Captain--He knows what He's doing... and so does the flight crew... Rarely, something bad will happen. We just have to be ready to leave this life at any moment. If we trust God, surrender our fears of death and harm to Jesus, the Captain of the ship of life, there's nothing else to fear. "fear not, those who can harm the body, but not the soul; fear rather (revere--love, respect, honor, adore) God who has power to cast both soul and body into Hell." (paraphrase)
And in Isaiah? (will look it up later) God was angry because His people "did not believe in God or trust in His salvation."
The most difficult thing in the world to do is to trust in God before He reveals Himself to us--but this is what honors Him the most. When we take those "baby-steps" our faith is encouraged by more help, like James said, "draw near to God, and He will draw near to you."
herald
The latest lesson on how this all worked out for a victory is I have been overwhelmed by many things--- "multiple bogies!", Maverick would say, and the Lord reassured me in a dream which is a good lesson for us as Christians. In the dream, I had boarded a passenger jet and was apprehensive thinking I had to fly the plane, just like the childhood lesson.
What was the lesson?
As Christians, we don't have to worry about flying the plane in life's thunderstorms--too much lightning, and deadly danger. Sometimes, we just have to sit back, relax, and trust the Captain--He knows what He's doing... and so does the flight crew... Rarely, something bad will happen. We just have to be ready to leave this life at any moment. If we trust God, surrender our fears of death and harm to Jesus, the Captain of the ship of life, there's nothing else to fear. "fear not, those who can harm the body, but not the soul; fear rather (revere--love, respect, honor, adore) God who has power to cast both soul and body into Hell." (paraphrase)
And in Isaiah? (will look it up later) God was angry because His people "did not believe in God or trust in His salvation."
The most difficult thing in the world to do is to trust in God before He reveals Himself to us--but this is what honors Him the most. When we take those "baby-steps" our faith is encouraged by more help, like James said, "draw near to God, and He will draw near to you."
herald