“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:67-69)
On July 16, 1999, J. F. Kennedy Jr’s single-engine plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean not far from its destination of Martha’s Vineyard. The FAA said the crash was due to “spatial disorientation.” What started out as a clear night flight, soon deteriorated into a fog that distorted the young pilot’s perception. Pilots who are are confronted with adverse weather conditions are trained to fly by the instruments, because human perception cannot be trusted. John Kennedy did not have that level of training, and it cost him and his two passengers their lives. One of my student athletes who later became a Navy pilot told me that learning to “fly blind” — trusting only in the instruments — was one of the most difficult skills he had to learn.
Many of us will never climb into the cockpit of an airplane, but when the fog of troubles, trials, and temptations rolls into our lives, our emotional perceptions can become distorted, causing what I call “spiritual disorientation.” Our perceptions of God’s plan and purpose, God’s will and wisdom, and God’s love and leading in our lives can become clouded and confused. This is when we need to trust in our training and fly by His instruments of promise, which are contained in the Word of God. You see, when the storm winds are blowing in our lives and the waves of challenge are washing over us, we simply cannot trust our perceptions, for “the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9 NKJV). We must return to God’s promises, knowing He is always true to His Word.
What have you been trusting in lately? Your perceptions of your circumstances? Or God’s promises? Remember, you always have a choice when you are facing any situation in life. You can choose to trust God’s promises or trust your perceptions. Our God is a faithful, promise-keeping God, who never has and never will break any promise He has ever made. You have His Word on it!
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 