Godspeed Ahead – Gate Arrival will be… … ON TIME I just rolled up to my computer desk and I’m looking outside my window. About 15 feet from the house, we have our bird feeders. It is always such a relaxing scene as I sit here sipping my morning cup of coffee and watching my little feathered friends land for their breakfast meal. But this morning, things are a little different. The anemometer on Weatherbug is showing a sustained wind speed of 20 miles per hour with wind gusts reaching 50 miles per hour. One of the bird feeders is swinging back and forth in the wind like a pendulum on a grandfather clock. But you know, not a single one of these little feathered friends of mine has missed the landing point. Perfect, every time! Most days, the morning breeze as the sun takes it place in the sky is a gentle, predictable breeze. Smooth flying and soft landings. I bet the birds love calm weather. But even yesterday with the sky raining cats and dogs, actually cows and horses, my little feathered friends were still there in between the squalls. God sure does take care of them! I wish that I could ask those birds whether they ever question their ability to safely find a meal even in the worst of conditions. Of course, with what the Bible says about this, their faith in the Creator is probably pretty solid even without their ability to read the Good News. 6:26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And then there are us. And we do have the ability to read the Good News. Do we have that same level of confidence that the birds have when they come in for a landing during the storm; that God will see us safely through the storm too? 4:37 And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 4:38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care if we perish?" 4:39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 4:40 He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?" Even the Lord’s disciples had their faith tested from time to time. For those of you who have flown on an airplane, you know what I am talking about with respect to in-flight turbulence and less-than-perfect landings during the storm but yet the plane did not crack up into tiny pieces all over the tarmac. Thus we have “Godspeed Ahead – Gate arrival will be ON TIME.” Have you ever asked God to increase your faith in Him? Have you asked God to take you to that “next level” of faith? In order to get there, you have a distance to travel. Some of the paths you will travel will be short, smooth minor hops from one point to another. Oh how we love smooth sailing! We can lean the seat back and enjoy the ride on auto-pilot. Everything works out perfectly. We so much enjoyed that little faith journey; we have no hesitancy in continuing on in our journey of faith. Note that when you ask God for something, be careful. He might actually give it to you. But not necessarily in the way you expected! God’s timing and methods are perfect! What we don’t want to accept necessarily is that to get to that next level of faith, there will be a price you have to pay. And no, God does not accept credit cards! Back to my little feathered friends outside in the high winds this morning... I sense that at least one of them are “new” to flying. Some time ago, mama-bird “pushed” them out of the nest high atop the tree and that little fella quickly “learned” how to fly. Talk about baptism by fire! And just as that little fella was becoming comfortable with the flight rules, ground clearance and take-off and landing principles; papa-bird said its time for you to go find your own food. No more worms beak-delivered to you in the mornings! I sense that at least one of you reading this blog is going through some turbulence today like my little feathered friends outside are. You were serving the Most High with all your strength. Things were going, well, you know, great! Sure you are serving God in an awesome capacity. In your prayers, you were giving thanks to He that provides and asking to be taken to that “next level.” Oh how that “next level” of faith must be to experience first-hand. I see my friends basking in the Glory at that next level of faith. Oh how I want it sooooo bad! Please God! Take me there! Well, He is. But not necessarily the way you thought. Not even the route that you had planned. In order for you to get to that next level of faith, you are going to have what I like to refer to as a “Job Experience.” You think you’ve got everything and everything is going great. Things could not be better. And then “all Hell breaks loose.” 1:13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house; 1:14 and there came a messenger to Job, and said, "The oxen were plowing and the asses feeding beside them; 1:15 and the Sabe'ans fell upon them and took them, and slew the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you." 1:16 While he was yet speaking, there came another, and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you." 1:17 While he was yet speaking, there came another, and said, "The Chalde'ans formed three companies, and made a raid upon the camels and took them, and slew the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you." 1:18 While he was yet speaking, there came another, and said, "Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house; 1:19 and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you." 1:20 Then Job arose, and rent his robe, and shaved his head, and fell upon the ground, and worshiped. 1:21 And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return; the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." 1:22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. Talk about a situation deteriorating quickly! Yet Job neither sinned nor accused God of wrong doing! Wow! Awesome! You might be in the same situation. Your flight took off without incident. You have been at cruising altitude for an hour now and are enjoying a light refreshment. And then the situation changes rapidly. Turbulence! Turbulence comes in many forms. It may be a hurricane like Katrina. It may be house fire that destroys everything you own. It may also be just needing enough money to pay the rent due in only 3 days. It may be just needing enough “smarts” to pass that school test this week. One thing that I have learned over time, and I might add “the hard way” at times, is that God has always been faithful. God has never given me more than I could handle but sometimes I do wish that God did not trust me so much! And then there are the times when I myself needed the cash to make some payment but the money just wasn’t in the bank. And the money wasn’t anywhere in sight either. But in God’s perfect timing, the money did come into my hands just when I thought I was not going to be able to pay my debt. I considered it “a close call” but God considers it “right on time.” It did not take me long to realize that I needed to have a little more faith in my Father just like my little feathered friends outside this morning. By the way, they still have not missed the landing perch on any first approach. You know, I should know that my Father is not going to allow me to miss a landing either. It may not be on my terms according to my plans nor at the time I wanted it to happen. But after all of the dust settles from my own little experience with turbulence, I find that I have landed at the “next level” in my faith climb that I had been praying about. And guess what? I have a little more confidence that God is going to take care of me regardless of what I am going through. I have also learned to trust in Him a little bit more. And wow! My trip was Godspeed with gate arrival occurring ON TIME; His PERFECT TIME. You can have the same experience. You will have the same experience. Just remember, not all flights and not all landings will be smooth. You might even think you are going to be late at times. But we serve an awesome God! Learn to trust God in a new way. He will provide! But again, in His way and His timing. Not yours! Put your faith on the rock; Jesus Christ. Trust me on this. You will not be sorry. < ding > "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for flying with Godspeed Airlines today. We pray for you every day. And may you have a blessed week in the Lord! Godspeed ahead – flight attendants, prepare for gate arrival. Our flock has reached their next destination; safely and on time!"
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