home > Pastor’s Desk > 2023> February 17th > Finding Peace in Turbulence
Like many people, I love visiting and seeing new places. I love learning from new cultures and languages. To have these experiences though, one needs to travel. While there are different modalities of travelling, the easiest, fastest (yet) and by far the safest means is by air. But there is a problem, I don’t always enjoy flying.
Returning home from our recent holiday, for reasons best known to the check-in staff, my wife and I were allocated seats several rows apart in a plane that was not at capacity. Once the plane was up in the air I moved to sit by my wife at the rear of the plane. Most of the flight was smooth. Then there was jolt. I was unsettled because the turbulence lasted for what seemed like forever to me. My wife was lost in the movie she was watching, oblivious to what was happening. From a distance, I could see that my children were asleep or watching movies, untroubled. I paused to thank God that they were not stressed as I was.
I spent time watching the flight map – analysing the ground speed; the altitude – converting it from feet to kilometres to understand how high up we were; studying the boundaries of the various countries we were flying over; and the ocean depth as depicted by the map and the distance covered and remaining. I tried to estimate what the local time at ground level was using these information and estimated time of arrival in Australia. Bizarre, I know. I was trying to avoid thinking about the turbulence. But the more I tried not to think about it, the more I became aware of how rough it was. I prayed for the weather. I prayed for the pilot and her team. I tried to doze off but couldn’t sleep. I tried to tell myself to trust the trained pilot and crew. That God is in control and will help and guide them. I knew my worrying wasn’t going to change anything. Unfortunately, my self-talk and head knowledge wasn’t helping much. A few verses on fear came to mind.
When I am afraid
I put my trust in you.
Psalms 56:3 ESV
Casting all your anxieties on him because he cares for you.
1Peter 5:7 ESV
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God. Which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4: 6-7.
I decided to spend time thanking God. I thanked him for the opportunity to travel, to be on such a long flight. I thanked him for the experiences we had, and time spent with family. As I continued with my Thank-you prayer, focusing on God’s promises and faithfulness, I began to see the flight map in a different light. It offered more reasons to appreciate God and the beauty of His creation. I dozed off to sleep amidst the turbulence, waking up hours later when the flight was ‘back to normal’.
The story of Daniel (Daniel chapter 6) is a lesson in believing and trusting in God. His diligence and distinction in his duties did not go well with his fellow administrators. In the face of his colleagues’ hatred, manipulation of the justice system to criminalise his belief and overwhelming danger, he continued in what he believed in.
When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house……. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.
Daniel 6: 10 ESV
He would end up in a den of lions. There are several artworks depicting Daniel in the lion’s den. One that catches my eyes shows Daniel, surrounded by lions, standing calm with his eyes lifted up to the one he believed in, the one who can save him. The lions were all around him. He had no chance against them. Instead of watching them or cowering with eyes down (most probably what I would have done) and wondering when they would pounce on him, he focused his eyes on God.
Daniel’s account reminds me that, while we do our part in the day-to-day tasks and responsibilities of life, challenges, hardship, and difficulties are assured – if not now, later. May we, like Daniel, be assured that the God we believe in will never leave us nor forsake us. May our eyes be focused on Him.
Amen.
Elder,
Ali
Let me know what you think below in the comment section and feel free to share this someone who might benefit from this Pastor’s Desk.
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Hi Ali, I smiled as I followed your reasoning as the turbulence kept the plane vibrating, which many of us would have discovered over our life time too. At those times I remember praying very clearly that my days were in His hands and if this was the moment He was going to call me home – I would welcome that. It must have a been a reaction to the momentary fear I was trying to rationalize.
When the plane gets smaller though and I spotted a bolt loose, somewhere on the wing, flying from one island to another in Indonesia, indeed it does feel like Daniel in the lion’s den with no where to go and no where to look but up.
So you are right, we reason it out, we try to get all the data we can to come to a conclusion, which somehow gives us the control over the situation, when in fact our heavenly Father has it all in His hands.
It was absolutely very petrifying moment at such altitude with such turbulence. What else could one have done in such a precarious state? As Christians, our minds switch with spontaneity to God and his mercy as fear heightens. Calmness of mind is probably the best approach in such situation though not easy to come by except by God’s grace, which you rightly deployed.
You were quick to remember that “one with God is majority,” and you applied it speedily in the very situation that required it. God gives us an unshakeable confidence and Calmness that nothing else confers. Hence, Daniel was able to stand in the den of lions fearlessly amidst their bewilderment. “God works in mysterious ways.”
Though very fearful and unwanted experience for anyone, it turned to
a period of academic exercise for you but that humanly approach wasn’t helpful despite all the geographical knowledge on the screen – hahahaha. You only got succour through divine approach – the lesson as you have pointed, is that we should hand our problems to God at all times and have confidence in him. God is awesome!
Thank you so much for sharing this awful experience. I haven’t had such and I don’t look forward to it by God’s grace – hahahaha. I am happy to know that you enjoyed that trip and had quality time with family despite the hitch.
CJ thanks for reading and for your insight. It helps to redirect our attention and focus on God.
Thanks Lydia. I can relate to the small plane experience
I have had this experience multiple times. The only defiance to the situation is absolute trust in God. Intellectual calculation will make the problem bigger. It’s a matter of trusting him and leaving the consequences to him. I once read about Billy Graham’s experience in a similar situation – Trust and obey.
Wow, thank you for this devotional, brother. The message is timely and very relevant for me. Unlike Daniel, I tend to look at the Lions and think about the injustices of the administrators. This is very convicting.
Blessings
I think Phillipians 4:6-7 have crowned it all.God is faithful and he will continue to be.
This piece is indeed encouraging and inspiring especially at a time like this in our country and around the world, insecurity, economic meltdown and political uncertainties.
The God we serve in bigger than our broblems.
Thank you so very much for this.
God bless
In such turbulent times our understanding is unfruitful. Thanks for sharing.