Tuesday, February 11

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May your unfailing love come to me, Lord, your salvation, according to your promise.
—Psalm 119:41
Imagine you’re a pilot, taking your small plane out for a quick flight. When you took off earlier in the day, the sun was shining and conditions seemed ideal for flying. But now the wind is starting to pick up, and before you know it, a dense fog has rolled in. Visibility is low, and it’s becoming more difficult to see landmarks—particularly the horizon.
Then it happens: suddenly your body is saying you’re going one direction, while the instruments are telling another story.
You’re heard warnings about this before—spatial disorientation, they call it. Which voice will you believe? Your inner ear, which is convinced that you’re flying straight, or the plane’s instrument panel, which clearly says you’re banking left? What will you use as your standard to determine which way is up? Your choice could very likely mean the difference between life and death.
According to a study by the US Navy, 13 percent of air crashes during a ten-year period were caused by spatial disorientation. There was a disconnect between the pilots’ gut feeling and the instruments, and when they went with their gut, the results were fatal. These crashes couldn’t be blamed on a lack of experience, either—the pilots had an average of a decade in the cockpit and more than a thousand hours of instructor time. In other words, having expertise, experience, and training isn’t enough to prevent disorientation.
When it comes to knowing the way of salvation, we, too, can become disoriented—even if we’ve been following Christ for a long time, even if we’ve heard good teaching, even if we know a lot about being a Christian. That’s when it’s critical to listen to the instrument panel God has given us: his Word.
Maybe your gut is telling you it’s not exactly a lie; it’s just not telling the whole truth. But God’s Word says we are to speak the whole truth from our hearts (Psalm 15:2).
Maybe your gut is telling you that you deserve to keep a little extra from the business deal after working so hard. But God’s Word says it’s better to be poor and blameless than rich and corrupt (Proverbs 28:6).
Maybe your gut is telling you that no one would expect you to forgive that person. But God’s Word calls us to forgive others as he has forgiven us (Matthew 6:12).
Throughout this journey of faith, we sometimes lose our bearings and can no longer see the horizon. Sometimes our gut feelings don’t match up with what God’s Word says. It’s in those moments that we have a critical choice to make: Will we choose to rely on how we feel or on the unfailing Word of God?
Psalm 119:41 says that the Lord’s love is unfailing. Take a moment to let that sink in. His love never fails. Meaning he’s always for us, always faithful. Meaning he never lets us down, never breaks his promises. No other person or thing can live up to such a claim and then deliver on that promise.
God’s love is unfailing; his salvation is unfailing; his promises are unfailing; his Word is unfailing. He is more reliable than the instrument panel on any aircraft, and he will never lead us astray. His way is the way to life and salvation.
So whenever there is a discrepancy between our internal compass and the direction given to us in his Word, may we always choose his Word. God always knows better than we do which way is up.
Have you put your full trust in God for salvation? If not, what is holding you back? Is there anything other than God that you are putting your trust in?

—Stephanie Rische

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