The pilot was a dear friend, so he invited me to sit in the cockpit of his Boeing 727 as the plane was being boarded.  What an honor!  I sat down, lifted my head, and was immediately stunned.  Facing me was a myriad of knobs, buttons, pedals, levers and gauges and maybe a cup holder or two.

The view out the window was panoramic, but the view of the cockpit led me to panic.  What if I should accidentally lean on a lever and cause all the luggage to fall out.  What if I mistakenly goof up the fuel gauge so that we run out of gas midair?   What if I should bump a button that would eject the lady sitting in 26E? 

It was clear to me that I didn’t know enough to belong there.  I folded my arms and locked them tight and refused to move.  I said to my friend, “Hey this is nice! – OK I’m done!“  I went back to coach, found my seat, and sat down and relaxed for the duration of that trip, knowing that someone who actually knows what they are doing is in the cockpit.

That’s also the way I feel when I watch the news these days. I sense that I am in a cockpit of complexity that I want to manage – but can’t.

Jesus may have been describing our era of history when He predicted, “For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  All these things are the beginning of birth pains.” – Matthew 24:7-8

It is disturbing to be sure!  Russia in Ukraine, China poised to seize Taiwan and Hamas overwhelming Israel.   A quick Google search reveals that at the moment (October 2023) there are 32 ongoing conflicts in the world.

Jesus went on to say, “Then many will be led into sin, and they will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will appear and deceive many, and because lawlessness will increase so much, the love of many will grow cold.”  –  Matthew 24:10-12

He, spoke of an era of moral decay that will supersede the past; an era also tainted with betrayal and hatred and deceptive religion. 

He also cited an increase in lawlessness.  That sure seems to be apparent these days – whether it be nations flouting international law or mobs of individuals looting jewelry stores.  The casualty of this lawlessness is that the love of people grows distrustful, self-centered and ice cold to the needs of others. 

Are these the beginning of birth pangs which will soon manifest itself in the return of our Lord Jesus?  Don’t know – it certainly could be! 

In the meantime, we sit in the cockpit of complexity, fearful that we or perhaps those who lead us will touch the wrong button.   Maybe the wise thing is to leave the cockpit to someone who belongs there. 

In the book of Jeremiah, the Lord left us a little something to calm our nerves.  He said, “I am the Lord, the God of all humankind. There is, indeed, nothing too difficult for me.”  – Jeremiah 32:27.

Nothing, nothing at all is beyond His ability to manage and control.  He is the ultimate pilot.  He is omnisciently aware of our circumstances and can negotiate every storm.  It is His prerogative to change course if He so chooses.  He knows every button and lever and exactly what to do with them. 

And it is a comfort to know that He is determined to safely deliver each of His passengers.  Paul said, “For God did not destine us for wrath but for gaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  – 1 Thessalonians 5:9.

So, get out of the cockpit, find your seat, tilt it back and trust your pilot.   He will get us safely home!

A PRAYER: Lord we are fearful, but You are powerful.  Help us to remember that!

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Scripture references are from the NETBible.com ®