From Above!
An Online Ministry for the Men of CLF
When we venture into the world to earn a living, we all face our own unique set of challenges. As you can see, my office has a great view! But some days are more challenging than others. Long days away from home, weekly hotel stays, continuous jetlag and stress are some of the challenges we face in the travel industry. As men, sometimes our life is not aligning with our testimony...what people see on the outside is far from the feelings and emotions we are experiencing on the inside...
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Where are you going? Part 2
In the early 1980's when I was giving primary flight instruction, the statistics revealed that over 80% of private, non-instrument rated pilots who flew into the clouds, lost control of their aircraft. Since all pilots receive some training flying solely by instruments, that statistic seems high. But flying into a solid layer of clouds for an extended period of time requires training and unique skills. Whenever we are in motion without a visual reference, our inner ear can give us false information...we may feel level when we are actually 90 degrees left or right of vertical. This is know as vertigo, and by the time other forces reveal to us that we are out of position, it can be too late to right ourselves. The key to instrument flying is to believe what the instruments tell us. Often the fatal error is to attempt to remain upright relying solely on our feelings and senses.
God always gives us the ability to stay on His appointed course and remain upright, but we must learn to hear His voice. He gives us impressions and directions by His Spirit, He gives us the wisdom of others, he gives us circumstances, and most directive of all ... He gives us His Word. Yet, as you know, we still get off course. We can get input vertigo from the world. Moses, Abraham, David, Peter and many more failed their first few spiritual navigational tests. If you've experienced this spiritual vertigo, you're in good company!
Jeremiah felt lead by God to buy the field of Anothoth. But he didn't act on the impression alone, he waited for confirmation. He didn't ask another their opinion of his impression, he waited silently for God to reveal His will. The next day, his uncle's son came and made a purchase proposal to Jeremiah for this very field...THEN he said, "I knew this was the word of the Lord."
We all must learn to walk when we are young, and it is a process of failures and successes. Likewise, we learn by small stumbling steps of failure and success to hear and obey the promptings of the Spirit. Jesus Himself learned "obedience by what He suffered" according to Hebrews 5. We can do no less than suffer, as He did, the pains of growth as we learn to walk obediently before God. We will learn to hear His voice if we seek to know His heart. He speaks willingly to those who love Him and desire to please and obey Him. So still your heart, quiet your mind, and give Him your complete attention... He will reveal Himself to you in His way, according to His word and His will.
Remember, where God's finger points, His hand will make the way.
So... keep on.
Cort
God always gives us the ability to stay on His appointed course and remain upright, but we must learn to hear His voice. He gives us impressions and directions by His Spirit, He gives us the wisdom of others, he gives us circumstances, and most directive of all ... He gives us His Word. Yet, as you know, we still get off course. We can get input vertigo from the world. Moses, Abraham, David, Peter and many more failed their first few spiritual navigational tests. If you've experienced this spiritual vertigo, you're in good company!
Jeremiah felt lead by God to buy the field of Anothoth. But he didn't act on the impression alone, he waited for confirmation. He didn't ask another their opinion of his impression, he waited silently for God to reveal His will. The next day, his uncle's son came and made a purchase proposal to Jeremiah for this very field...THEN he said, "I knew this was the word of the Lord."
We all must learn to walk when we are young, and it is a process of failures and successes. Likewise, we learn by small stumbling steps of failure and success to hear and obey the promptings of the Spirit. Jesus Himself learned "obedience by what He suffered" according to Hebrews 5. We can do no less than suffer, as He did, the pains of growth as we learn to walk obediently before God. We will learn to hear His voice if we seek to know His heart. He speaks willingly to those who love Him and desire to please and obey Him. So still your heart, quiet your mind, and give Him your complete attention... He will reveal Himself to you in His way, according to His word and His will.
Remember, where God's finger points, His hand will make the way.
So... keep on.
Cort
