He Shall Direct Thy Paths – January 13, 2002
Life can be dangerous. Sometimes darkness or clouds obscure our view and threaten our safety. It takes great faith to get through unharmed.
In 1929 American military hero Jimmy Doolittle made a daring flight that changed the course of aviation. He strapped himself into a plane, took off, and then landed in the same spot fifteen minutes later. That may not sound like much, but this flight was different from any other. He couldn’t see out the windows. All he could see were his dimly lit instruments. Doolittle was part of a team that developed the first instruments enabling pilots to fly without seeing outside the plane. Before this invention, darkness or clouds could fool a pilot into believing he was flying straight and level when he was actually spiraling downward.
Instrument flying has become so accurate, pilots now trust their instruments more than their eyes. As we navigate our way through life, it’s easy to become confused. There are so many choices. We can choose immediate gratification, which often looks harmless enough, but experience proves it sends many into a downward spiral of misery. Or we can choose a life of selfless service, which brings peace and lasting happiness. The wisdom of choice isn’t always easy to see. Our judgment can be fallible. Like a pilot, we need guidance from an instrument of complete accuracy. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart,” the proverb counsels, “and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”1
Even though we can’t always see what’s ahead, a loving God surely can. By looking to His divine direction, we can avoid many dangers and safely arrive at our final destination.
Program #3778
1. Proverbs 3:5–6.