A pilot friend of mine once quipped that “anybody can fly an airplane; it just takes a pilot to get it back on the ground.” The average Joe might be able to man a cockpit while cruising under trouble-free circumstances, but the landing is what separates average Joe from a well-trained professional.

On July 16, 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr. tragically died when the airplane he was piloting crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. The two passengers on board, Kennedy’s wife and her sister were also killed. The official investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that Kennedy fell victim to what’s known as spatial disorientation. He flew into a situation for which he was not prepared nor trained.

Though Kennedy was certified to fly under VFR (visual flight rules). He was not yet trained or qualified to fly by IFR (instrument flight rules). When his plane took off, the visibility was normal. But as he flew along the Atlantic Coast, he was gradually surrounded by fog, making all basic landmarks obscured. Only a pilot trained in instrument flight rules would be suited to navigate through the confusing haze.

One pilot explained this phenomenon. He said that when a pilot flies into fog or through clouds blocking any visual reference points, the pilot looses sense of direction, even upward and downward. Without a horizon or at least lights in the distance, the pilot doesn’t know what direction he or she is heading in—whether flying straight into the ground or even upside down.

The only way to safely fly in such conditions, he insisted, was to keep your eye on your instruments. The electronics on a plane provide an artificial horizon, height, air speed, and whether the plane is climbing or descending. The instruments can keep things straight even when the fog blinds the eyes and brain of the pilot. The toughest part of earning IFR certification, according to seasoned pilots, is learning to have unquestioning faith in the instruments. Even when your eyes and your head say one thing and the instruments tell you another, you must learn to instinctively trust your instruments.

The same is true when it comes to living by faith.

If we want to live by faith, we will need to learn how to instinctively trust in God’s word over our circumstances. Tweet this

There should be a distinct difference in how a Christ-follower goes through hardship versus how an unbeliever goes through hardship. Both can cruise through life at similar ease under normal circumstances, yet under adverse conditions, there should be a distinction in orientation between the two worldviews—at least, if we believe our Bibles.

The believer has a point of reference (God’s Word) that should guard us from spatial disorientation when we face troubles or hardship. We should be able to fly under instrument flight rules while the unbeliever only has visual flight rules to go by. The Apostle Paul said it succinctly in this way “we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). The believer’s compass is reliable. God’s Word is proven and it can be trusted. The unbeliever doesn’t have such reliable instrumentation that can transcend this present darkness (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Life can seem unbearable at times. Physical illness, financial hardships, the loss of a loved one, shattered dreams, the sting of a broken relationship, depression, loneliness, social rejection, or religious persecution may threaten to disorient our faith. We may become fearful and perplexed, plagued by doubts, and even find it difficult to pray. And yet it is for these exact moments of haziness that God has given us His very Word—a Word He has never gone back on!

Jesus promised that we could have peace in the storm (John 14:17). His instruments give us the right orientation to rightly interpret our trials and challenges. “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you,” declared the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 26:3 ESV).

There are some challenges in life where we will be faced with zero visibility, trials that we can only overcome through IFR—faith in God’s Word. But take courage beloved; He is faithful to His Word. And that’s why we should do everything we can to become adequately trained in God’s Word (the instrument flight rules). That’s why Paul admonished young Timothy that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV)

Friend, you can become equipped to handle any storm in life by leaning into God’s Word as your compass. Think about that as you abide in Him this week.

For further study: (Philippians 4:6-7, Jeremiah 17:7-8, Proverbs 56:3, Isaiah 43:2)

Questions for Reflection:

1. What is the most difficult storm you have ever had to go through? Did you feel prepared for it? Why or why not?
2. When have you ever experienced the reality of God’s “perfect” peace because you fixed your eyes upon Him rather than your circumstances?
3. What can you do this week to develop a deeper trust in God’s Word?
4. Is there a person in your life right now struggling to get through a storm? How can you be a comfort to them?

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