As we approached the Phoenix International Airport, the pilot came on with the usual instructions, “ Ladies and Gentlemen, we are making our final approach into the Phoenix. International Airport. Please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full and and locked positions, all carryon items are securely stowed, and your seat belts are fastened.”
I had a window seat and as I looked out I could see nothing but white. A few minutes later I heard the landing gear come down. Still, nothing but white outside. I kept looking expecting the plane to break out of the clouds and give the pilot a clear view to line the plane up for landing. Finally, we emerged from the thick fog with the runway upon us. The pilot had not been able to see the runway until we were almost down.
When visibility is poor (or non-existent in this case) pilots rely on Instrument Flight Rules flying. They spend many hours of training, practice, and regular testing learning to trust their instruments and not their senses. The human body can be easily fooled in flight, making the pilot feel the airplane is climbing, turning, or level when it is not. The instruments tell the pilot whether the airplane’s nose is up or down, whether the wings are level or banked, what the altitude is, how fast the plane is moving, which direction the airplane is traveling, whether the plane is climbing or descending, and the rate and quality of turns.
As pilots are taught to rely on their instruments, God teaches us to rely on His word, our spiritual instrument panel, rather than our logic or five senses. Hebrews, chapter 11, reminds us of patriarchs, prophets, warriors, and women of faith who received miracles because they believed God and not what their minds or senses told them. Years ago, when my husband and I were broke and facing some large expenses, we tried it. We knew the Bible said to give and it would be given to us (Luke 6:38) and if we would tithe God would open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing so great we could not receive it (Malachi 3:10). With no steady income and a major payment coming due, we committed to give ten percent of anything we received to our church. We had no idea how we would make ends meet financially. Soon thereafter, we received an unexpected check from my mother-in-law who wanted to even up the score between what she had paid for her daughter’s college tuition and what she had paid for her son’s (my husband). We were stunned. We gave ten percent to the church and used the rest to meet our expenses. We saw one financial miracle after another as we relied on our spiritual instrument panel to give to God’s work first. We never missed a meal and paid all of our expenses on time. We saw that tithing was the best financial decision we had ever made and knew we would never stop.
We began to use our spiritual instrument panel to get us to safety in other areas of our lives, believing it would work there as well. Rather than looking at the facts, people’s opinions, how long it is taking, or what the experts said, we looked at God’s word. In some cases we are still seeing only fog, but know as we continue to fly by faith, the runway will appear at just the right time and our miracle plane will land safely.
“We walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Cor. 5:7) ESV
