Flying Nearer My God To Thee

 The plane levels out, gives that little surge that makes your tummy flutter, and a few minutes later, the pilot announces “Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our cruising altitude and I am turning off the fasten seatbelt sign.” Instantly the hymn, “Nearer My God To Thee,” begins to play in my head. David said in the psalms, “But as for me, it is good to be near God…” (Psalms 73:28). Am I really nearer to God up here?

I look out the window and see the fields and ribbons of highways below. The busyness of life flows like ants on a hill as we pass over people who are out and about their daily lives. God is not any nearer up here than He is down there, I think. Not as long as I trust in Him.

I smile. Trust. Why is that so hard to do with God sometimes? Here I am flying through the air at hundreds of miles per hour, suspended 30,000 feet above the earth, trusting in the pilot of the plane to get us to our destination and land safely on the ground again.

David also said, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” (Psalms 20:7) Often I trust people, complete strangers, with my safety. The pilot. The taxi driver. The bus driver. I put myself in their care with hardly a thought to what I’ve done. Why not put myself in God’s hands as easily? I know how much he cares for me. Much more than any stranger would.

The plane starts to descend. I put up the tray table and bring my seat back to its original upright position. I begin my usual prayer, “God give us a safe landing. Be in the cockpit and guide our pilot.”

It is then I realize my trust isn’t in the pilot. I’ve trusted God all along. I’ve been in his hands—held 30,000 feet in the air. I’ve gained new insight. Whether soaring through the clouds in a jet or planting my feet firmly on the ground, I need to trust God. Trust Him for all my “safe landings” in life. Trust Him for guiding me safely to all my destinations. Trust in him for the hope of my salvation.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)