Two wide-eyed boys, Jeremy and Tim, peered out the window of the airplane, trying to see if anything below would give them a clue as to where they were. What must be a highway looked like a thin wire strung with tiny beads that moved along the wire. It made Jeremy’s stomach feel sort of “crawly” to think how high up they really were. Thinking about this trip from the east coast to the west coast with their parents had been so exciting that they had hardly slept a wink the night before. They both were still wide awake.
Tim saw some blue blobs underneath that puzzled him. He thought a minute and then took out his pencil and writing pad and wrote a short message. When the stewardess came around with some pop to drink, he handed the note to her and asked if she would please take it to the pilot. Tim explained that he would like to know what states they were flying over and if there were landmarks that could be pointed out.
The stewardess hesitated, “I don’t know if he will have time for this, but I’ll give it to him,” she said smiling.
Sure enough, before long a voice came over the loudspeaker, “We are now crossing into Michigan. The bodies of water below us are the Great Lakes. The largest one is Lake Superior.” The pilot had made this flight many times and was well acquainted with the route. He also was a friendly person and wanted to make it interesting for the passengers. Tim adjusted his camera lens and took a few shots as they flew over the lakes.
Jeremy was glad they had a good pilot, but he was even more thankful that the Pilot in charge of his life ruled the universe. He knew for sure that if the plane should go down he would go up—into the everlasting arms of God who says, “I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure...I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.” Isaiah 46:9-119Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: 11Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. (Isaiah 46:9‑11). All this He gives us, like a map of earth’s history to hold in our hands and read in His wonderful book, the Bible.
Tim studied the rough terrain far below. He was trying to figure out what it might be when the voice over the loudspeaker announced, “We are now in North Dakota, and you may be able to see the Bad Lands, there to the right of the plane.”
Tim quickly cocked his camera that direction and pressed the button. “I hope these pictures turn out well so I can show them to my class at school,” he said as he wound the film and clicked it again.
The time passed so fast. Every so often the pilot announced that they were entering a new time zone, so they should set their watches back an hour.
“If you look down to the left of the plane, you may see steam from some of the geysers in Yellowstone National Park as we cross Wyoming,” the pilot announced.
Sure enough, they could see steam, like from a tiny teakettle, boiling up over there.
“I think it might be Old Faithful,” someone remarked.
“Oh, if only they could dip down real close,” thought Jeremy, but he knew they had a schedule to keep, and no time could be wasted for sight-seeing. There were friends who would be waiting for them at the airport in Washington state. He was getting anxious to see his old playmate, David. He had not seen him since they had moved out west a few years before.
The next thing he knew the stewardess was wheeling out trays with supper. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was ‘till he got a whiff of that good roast beef and gravy. Jeremy could hardly wait ‘till it was their turn to be served. When he uncovered the things on his tray, he discovered he liked everything on it! What an adventure this whole day had been, but the best was still ahead.
They were now losing altitude, coming closer, ever closer to the airport. “Fasten seat belts for the landing everyone.” The lights of the big city twinkled below as they circled the airport.
Over the loudspeaker came instructions from the pilot to stay in their seats until the plane stopped. He then asked that the boy who wrote the note to the pilot should come down to the cabin, please. “He means you, Tim! You’re s’posed to go down there to the cockpit of the plane,” said Jeremy excitedly. After landing, while the passengers were hurriedly leaving the plane, Tim went down to the cockpit where the pilot waited. He stood up and extended his hand to Tim.
“Now you sit here in my seat while we take your picture,” he said smiling.
Tim sat down in front of all the lights and levers and buttons on the control panel. “How could anyone ever learn to manage so many gadgets?” wondered Tim. The light flashed and the camera clicked, and then it was time to say. “Thanks very much” and “Good-bye.”
God has taken your picture, too. You can see it in Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)— “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Not a very good picture is it? Well, study that chapter and see if it seems like you are going through the security gate before you get on the plane to make sure there are no hidden weapons being carried aboard. Purses, luggage and yourself all pass through an x-ray machine that sees the hidden things. This is just like the Bible which searches your heart and sees the lies, stubbornness, the schemes that you cover up with a smile while the camera clicks. None of these things can enter heaven. They are all sin and must be confessed and washed away by the precious blood of Christ who suffered our punishment for them. “There shall in no wise enter into it (heaven) anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” Revelation 21:2727And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. (Revelation 21:27).
Out of the milling crowds in that big airport, Jeremy suddenly spied a familiar face that had a big smile and then a high wave in a happy greeting. Finally, after picking up their luggage they were free to join these good friends who had come to welcome them.
Jeremy thought that they had reached their goal, and it was like a dream come true—everything he had ever hoped for. But after a day or so he heard his father talking to his mother of more plans. They would drive their friends’ car across the state to a big wheat farm where they could visit other friends there. More excitement followed, and soon they were driving along through beautiful mountains, the Snoqualmie Pass and past Cheheelus Lake. He wondered if he had ever seen such high mountain peaks. Later they drove down through almost desert country along the Columbia River.
By this time the sun was setting and they had arrived at the farm. The first thing the boys did was explore the great big barns and ride the trucks and tractors. They were so glad their friend Brian had come along with them, too. There seemed no end of things to do here.
That night some pretty weary boys climbed up the stairs of the old farm house to find where they were going to sleep. They were tired alright, but they still had things to talk about, and they wanted to thank the Lord for all the good things and His care over them. The shutters on the windows were closed, and the light from the old candle that hung from the ceiling flickered on the walls, making it kind of spooky. It made them think about light and darkness.
“I’m going to write a poem about ‘light,’ " announced Tim.
“Alright, then, I’ll write one about ‘dark,’ " said Brian.
They thought awhile, and scribbled a bit, and thought some more, and erased, and scribbled some more. This is what they each wrote:
Light
There’s a rumor gone astray,
It’s been going many a day.
People think they’re in the light;
They think their path is straight and right.
They’re having pleasure in their sin.
It’s not for long they wear a grin,
Because the pleasure had from sin
Is not what fills a man within.
The soul with God It must be right.
So God sent down His own delight—
His only Son. He fought the fight
So all mankind can have that Light!
Dark
Men love the dark rather than light.
We love to kill, we love to fight.
We speak of peace, we speak of love,
We speak of peace, just like a dove.
But in our mind, deep inside,
It’s full of hate, lies and pride.
There is a way to kill that pride.
There is a place where you don’t hide.
If we’d just listen to Jesus
He would cleanse and heal us.
If we’d give Him a chance to clean us up
We wouldn’t go ‘round like a poor, whipped pup.
It’s heaven or hell; it’s turn or burn;
Whichever you choose, one you will spurn.
Turn to the Lord, hear His voice.
Dark or light...it’s your choice.
The choice is yours to make. Will you choose the light, the Lord Jesus Christ, or will you refuse Him and spend eternity in the darkness of hell?
ML-03/13/1983