“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh.”
2 Corinthians 12:7
I once talked to a pilot who described how he lands his plane in a deep fog. He has to be extremely alert as he guides his plane on, what are called Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). He’s flying blind, so the pilot must be totally dependent on his instruments and the signals from the control tower. He is extra careful to listen and respond to directions: check altimeter; check air speed; check flaps, yaw and pitch, navigation indicators, radar; check speed again. Suddenly the fog lifts, the pilot sees the runway beneath his plane, and the landing is smooth and safe.
The next day when the sky is clear, the pilot comes in for a landing on what is called Visual Flight Rules. Because he can easily spot the landing strip ahead, the pilot isn’t glued to all the gauges. As a result, he comes in a bit too fast which makes for a bumpy landing. The apparent ease of using Visual Flight Rules caused the pilot to be a little more lax, when he should have been just as alert.
God often sends a fog our way and we find ourselves “flying blind,” unable to discern what’s ahead. God does this so we will pay closer attention to the way we are flying through life. When I’m in a fog, when my thoughts are clouded and confused, I have to live my life on Instrument Flight Rules. I think: check mission, check attitude, check source of strength, check perspective on the day, check, check. If I don’t live life using scripture and prayer — God’s Instrument Flight Rules — it’ll be a hard landing at the end of a bumpy day.
Feeling under the fog? Make doubly sure you are dependent on prayer and God’s Word to guide you through the day.
Father God, please keep me from becoming conceited. Keep me from being too sure of myself. Keep me utterly dependent on You.
