Thought for Today
Deuteronomy 12:10 When you cross over the Jordan and live in the land that the LORD your God is allotting to you, and when he gives you rest from your enemies all around so that you live in safety,
Psalm 18:31 For who is God except the LORD? And who is a rock besides our God?-- 32 the God who girded me with strength, and made my way safe.
Acts 27:23 For last night there stood by me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before the emperor; and indeed, God has granted safety to all those who are sailing with you.'
Jude 1:1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, who are beloved in God the Father and kept safe for Jesus Christ:
Most of you have heard by now that sadly, there was a tragic aviation accident last night in the area of Washington, D.C. A military helicopter collided with a civilian passenger plane. As of this morning, there have been no survivors found. This occurred in one of the busiest, most carefully controlled air spaces in the world. It is difficult for any of us to imagine; and, if you ever travel by air, it is frightening to imagine.
Civilian passenger travel by air was not particularly common in my youth. I took my first airplane trip when I was in college. I accompanied my father to a convention in New York city. I still remember how tense I was (tense, not frightened, really) particularly during takeoff and landing. Since then, I have flown many times to many places. I was never an “air warrior,” but I have flown often.
One of the most striking things about the early days of the pandemic, when we were in the initial ‘lockdown,’ was the absence of jet contrails in the sky and how clear the air seemed to be. Coupled with the absence of the ubiquitous ‘white noise’ of the trucks and cars on the nearby Interstate, it almost seemed that we had somehow traveled back in time to a much earlier period.
We have already heard a lot on the television about air traffic safety. Given the recent spate of rocket failures and plane incidents, there is a lot being said about the issue of safety. Every time I have read anything about safe travel, I have encountered some reminder that air travel is the safest mode of travel. Usually there are some comments about most accidents being related to car travel and occurring within 10 miles of one’s home.
The reality is that humans cannot ever be truly, completely safe. We cannot live in some sort of bubble or cocoon. Life involves some degree of risk. It always has. There are all sorts of risks, risks to our health, our financial wellbeing, and, of course, to our very lives. It was true for the Israelites entering the Promised Land. It was true for the psalmist. It was certainly true for the early Christians. It was even true for Adam and Eve as they exited Eden. Life involves some degree of risk.
So, what are we, as people of faith, as Christians, to do? We cannot escape risk. We cannot be truly, completely safe. We can do some things. Greta and I, as well as many of you reading this are able to mitigate some of the risks. Those of us “of an age” learn more and more about healthy living, about diet and exercise. We become diligent about our checkups. We monitor our finances, paying close attention to both income and expenses. Our own home has a security system and our exterior doors all have deadbolt locks. We keep our cars in good repair and practice safe driving habits.
There is a great deal of good information available on safe living, on protecting our homes, our bodies and our money. I wonder how much attention most of us pay toward our safety in eternity. There is an equal amount of information available on safety in eternity. Most of the written information is assembled in the Bible. The safety of our souls, the health of our souls can also be protected through regular worship with our family of faith. Of course, an active prayer life is certainly important. We need to establish, maintain and pay attention to our relationship with our Creator God. As the psalmist wrote, “121:1 I lift up my eyes to the hills-- from where will my help come? 2 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”
Stay safe, pay attention to your eternal safety, trust God,
Pastor Ray