Josh McDowell's Youth DevotionsSample

SMOOTH LANDING. It was William's first airplane flight, and since his uncle was one of the pilots, William got to visit the cockpit. "How high up are we?" William asked. William's uncle pointed to the instrument panel. "Well, this gauge shows how high we are. Each number represents a thousand feet, so we're about 25,000 feet. We'll eventually reach 36,000 feet." For the next hour William was full of questions. "How do you steer?" "How fast can you go?" Each time the pilot flipped a switch or turned a dial, William wanted to know what was happening. "What's he doing now?" "We're changing to a new radio frequency because we're getting close to the airport. He'll be talking with people in the control tower who will direct him in." "But I can't see a thing! How do they know where we are? How do you know where to go?" William's uncle smiled. "We're in the clouds right now." He pointed to the instrument panel again. "But we have instruments that show us any other planes in the area. Plus, we're in constant touch with the control tower. The people there use radar, which helps them see everything a lot better than we can. They know which runway we should land on, what other planes are coming in to land, whether there are any storms in the area, and stuff like that. Even if we can't see because of clouds or fog, the people in the control tower can tell us exactly what we need to know to arrive safely at our destination." Sometimes we become confused in life, and we have a hard time knowing which way is right and which way is wrong. Like William, we can't always see things clearly. Our friends tell us one thing, teachers say another thing, our parents say something else, and we end up not knowing what's right and what's wrong. Right and wrong get all fuzzy and foggy, and we feel like we're flying through a cloud. At such times we need to be in constant touch with the "control tower." God can see everything a lot better than we can. We need to rely on his Word and his wisdom. We need to listen to him and follow what he says. If we do that, he will tell us exactly what we need to know to arrive safely at our destinations. REFLECT: When do you feel as if you're "flying through a cloud"? What do you usually do when you can't "see your way clearly"? What part does faith play in your actions? God is like the person in the control tower, and you are like the pilot. God says, "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it'" (Isaiah 30:21, NIV). PRAY: "God, show me the way you want me to go."