SLIGHTLY OFF COURSE
On a February morning in 1994, James Rich crawled behind the controls of his Piper Seneca. Leaving Louisville, Kentucky, he pointed his plane south toward Crossville, Tennessee, thirty-minutes away. The pilot hadn’t slept much the night before, and trouble was brewing. Rich climbed to 3,500 feet, set the plane on automatic pilot, and closed his eyes for a moment.
Three hours later he woke up. Looking through broken clouds, he observed what appeared to be a lake. Then he noticed the “lake” extended in every direction. He glanced at his bone-dry gas gauge, and quickly radioed an SOS. Turns out he was flying over the Gulf of Mexico.
Eighty-five miles from dry land, he crashed-landed in the Gulf. The plane quickly sank, pulling Rich—who cannot swim—down in its undertow. He bobbed to the surface, clinging to his seat cushion, which served as a flotation device (just like the flight attendants tell us in their safety instructions). Fifteen minutes later, a helicopter arrived, hoisting the pilot to safety in a rescue basket. (Source: Rubel Shelly, Woodmont Hills Bulletin)
James Rich’s harrowing ordeal parallels what’s happening in many of our lives and in our nation. We’re in a freefall, headed for who-knows-where, desperate for some sort of direction. Clearly, politicians can’t furnish it, nor can the media, universities, or religious leaders. Often, they’re more dazed and confused than the rest of us. We’ve lost our way and need someone—something—to provide us with guidance and sanity. That someone is Jesus, and that something is his word.
Psalm 119:105 states, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 73:24 declares, “You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.” Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?
Too many have bought into human solutions for guidance. But when we follow Jesus, he furnishes us with the direction and truth we so desperately need. In John 8:12 Jesus promises, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” We’ll never crash-land with Jesus. I may not know what’s happening at each moment, but at least I know where I’m headed.
Let’s rejoice. Jesus has the solutions for the mess we’re in! Rely on anyone, or anything else, and we’ll surely crash-land. And we may not be as fortunate as James Rich.
Principle: Jesus offers the guidance we need in these troubled times.
Ponder:
In what ways might my life have drifted off course?
What will help me get back to the right bearings with Jesus?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Psalm 119:105-128.
Prayer: “Heavenly Father, focus our nation and my life on you. Help us to get our direction back on track.”
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