Tuesday, March 16, 2021
FLYING BLIND
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NRSV)
Many years ago, I took flying lessons. I was certainly not a “natural” pilot and did not get a license. However, I did continue the lessons to the point of flying solo and doing a cross country trip with an instructor. One of the key lessons in my pilot training involved flying blind, using only the cockpit instruments. The student puts on a special hood, after which the instructor flys the airplane an erratic manner in order to disorient the student. Then the student is allowed to raise the hood just enough to see the instruments (but not through the windows) and is expected to get the aircraft back into the safety of straight and level flight using the instrument readouts alone. This is an important skill in the event a visually controlled flight suddenly goes into a cloud or storm. When an airplane crash is caused by pilot error, it is often because the pilot flew by feel rather than relying on the instruments. As my flight instructor admonished, the instruments are never wrong.
When we walk through life focused on the Lord, we are better able to navigate the clouds, twists, and turns which come our way. Without a trusting faith, it is easy to wander off the path of righteousness. What the Lord would want us to do is not always what our initial inclination suggests. This is what the Psalmist is saying. When we trust the Lord, He will make our path straight – just like the pilot using instruments.
Paul, in 2 Corinthians 5:7, reiterates the Old Testament admonishment, saying, that we walk by faith in Jesus not by sight. His life was full of clouds, twists, and turns as he traveled throughout the Mediterranean area preaching about Jesus. Paul himself never saw Jesus. None of us will see Jesus until we enter eternal life. Like Paul, we need to walk by faith.
Prayer: We praise you, Jesus, for Your steadfast support when life gets difficult. As we proceed through this Lenten season, may we strive to do a better job of acknowledging Him and following His path. Let us lean on the everlasting arms of Jesus, rather than doing things our own way. Keep us safe and secure from all alarms! Amen.
Carol Rice
