Instrument-Driven

     I have always loved reading. I can remember being in grade school and reading newspaper articles, parent newsletters from school, anything I could get my hands on. So this winter, as I found myself with some quiet time at home as our precious little girl slept, I rekindled my love for reading. Most things I read simply for enjoyment, a way to stay informed and pass the time. However, one article has stuck with me - an article about flying of all things.

     The article was about being "instrument-driven."  When piloting an airplane, one might think that all you need is the horizon to guide you. However, it is incredibly easy to become disoriented when in the air, flying at altitudes that can be dangerously low and in directions other than your intended destination. Pilots are tricked by their own eyes, unless they are "instrument-driven." Instead of relying on their sight, they must rely on the instruments in the cockpit to relay important information about their location in the sky. Without these instruments, their flight becomes perilous. 

     The author then made a comparison that has stuck with me since reading the article. As Christians, we must be "instrument-driven."  When we rely on our own devices, our beliefs and values can easily become disoriented by the constant stream of culture we encounter. Our point of reference is skewed, and soon we lose sight of our horizon and begin to delve into parts of culture that are dangerously far from God's Word. But, when we rely on what we know to be constant and true, the Word of God, we become "instrument-driven" and keep our focus on the truth. With this focus, we are easily able to discern what is pleasing in the sight of God. 

     Thanks be to God that He has given us His Word as a guide, a true, constant, and inerrant instrument to continually point us back to Him. Spend time in His Word, and become "instrument-driven."