Looks can be deceiving, especially when you’re flying thousands of feet above the ground in an airplane. On November 26, 2011, a pilot flew his four-seat Cirrus SR-20 from Marion, Indiana, to drop off his daughter at Wheaton College. On that overcast and rainy day, he flew by visual flight rules, because he had not yet earned an instrument rating. This means instead of using his instruments, he had to rely upon the view from his window to see where he was going.

Soon the pilot began to lose altitude. Before long, the plane had dipped to about 500 feet above the ground. Sadly, the plane crashed in a field in Crystal Lake, Illinois, killing the pilot, his two daughters, and a friend. The outcome may have been much different if the pilot had known how to use his instruments.

Christians, when we try to rely upon our feelings rather than upon the concrete, proven truths of God’s Word, we put ourselves in a dangerous position. We will unknowingly start to drift from our position of joy, peace, and confidence in Christ to a lower altitude, where we begin to lose our desire for spiritual things. Flying by sight takes us even lower, and brings us closer to worldliness, temptation, and sin. At this point, it’s not long before we have an awful plane wreck.

Let this pilot’s sad story be a sobering reminder to us of how important it is to fly at the right spiritual altitude. You might not think doing personal devotions every day is really important, but without the guidance of God’s Word, you are heading toward your own destruction. Remember that without Christ’s wisdom and guidance, your vision is very limited — so you need as much of it as you can get. Trust Him to lead you safely today.

If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth – only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair. — C.S. Lewis

Devotional by Dr. James A. Scudder

On an isolated island nation, a missionary found the perfect illustration of generosity, the idea of giving with the whole heart. After teaching a lesson at a local school, she was surprised when a young boy walked up to her and handed her a beautiful shell as a gift.

The missionary looked at the ornate design on the shell and recognized it as a shell which could only be found on the other side of the island. It would have taken hours to reach the exclusive spot by foot. When the missionary mentioned this to the little boy, he smiled and said, “Long walk part of gift.” He spared nothing to show his beloved teacher how much he appreciated her.

Gratitude is not based on a feeling. Rather, it flows from a thankful heart which expresses itself in selfless actions. A grateful person doesn’t measure the cost of his gift, but expends his time, energy, and resources to enhance its value. Such a person gives without thought of return.

Are you a grateful person? How far are you willing to go to show your gratitude? God doesn’t ask us to do this through big things. Simple, thoughtful things can have the same effect. You might not have to walk halfway around an island for another person, but you can leave a voicemail or Post-It note saying, “Thanks for all you do. I’m praying for you.” You can offer to babysit a friend’s children while she takes her husband out for dinner.

When we show gratitude by our giving, the possibilities are infinite, and the effect is priceless. Ask God to help you show your gratitude to others throughout this week.

Would you like to know who is the greatest saint in the world? It is not he who prays most or fasts most . . . but it is he who is always thankful to God, who receives everything as an instance of God’s goodness and has a heart always ready to praise God for it. — William Law

Devotional by Pastor Jim Scudder, Jr.

When a mule’s mind’s been made, it takes a whole lot of persuading to get him to “unmake” it. A farmer had a mule he owned for many years. Over that time, he picked up on the mule’s stubborn streaks. He got so good, he could see a stubborn streak coming . . . and going. He also learned how to get the animal’s attention: whenever it acted up, he beat it on the head with a wooden board until it decided to obey him.

One day, another farmer stopped by to return some borrowed tools. He watched the farmer hit his mule on the head and said, “Well, it looks like you’ve figured out how to fix his problem.”

The farmer said, “I just know how to get his attention. He ain’t been cured yet.”

When God wanted to get the world’s attention, He didn’t beat us over the head with a board. He gave us His law so we would know that we were sinners who fell short of perfection. The law showed us that our lust was adultery, our hatred was murder, and our covetousness was idolatry. It got our attention in a way nothing else ever could.

But God is also merciful. Not only did He get our attention, but He also provided a cure for our problem. He sent His Son to die and shed His blood to pay for all of our sins so we could go to Heaven. Once we get saved, God starts to work in our lives to help us be like Christ.

Has God been trying to get your attention lately? Maybe you heard a preacher on television or the radio give an invitation to put your trust in Christ. You were convicted about your sins, but you never accepted Christ as your Savior. Get the matter settled today, once and for all. God doesn’t try to get your attention to hurt you, but to get you to try His cure. Won’t you trust in Christ right now?

Click here to find God’s cure for your sins.

Nothing is more reasonable than faith in God; nothing is more unreasonable than a blind leap of faith in reason. — Unknown Author

Devotional by Dr. James A. Scudder

What characterizes a humble person? C.S. Lewis said that you might be surprised when you meet him:

Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call “humble” nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is a nobody. Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.

It has been said that when you realize you have found humility, you suddenly lose it. Most people believe that to be humble, you have to go around muttering to yourself, “I’m no good.” But that sort of statement really reveals the heart of a truly proud person—because he is always thinking of himself.

God wants us to live with confidence, not in our own abilities, but in the work of Christ through us. He wants us to see ourselves as loved, chosen, and heirs of His kingdom.

And it is precisely this confidence that keeps us from having to dwell on ourselves, and frees us to live for God and serve others.

Pray that the Holy Spirit might develop this attitude in your heart.

Humility is the virtue that often disappears whenever it is discussed. — Unknown Author

Devotional by Dr. James A. Scudder

Memory is a big business these days. All sorts of remedies, from vitamins, to board games, to college-level courses are available to help people retain more of the information they absorb.

As we grow older, our memories do tend to fade. Some of us call this syndrome, “Old-timers” or “Some-timers.” The mind that was so quick and sharp in our twenties and thirties suddenly takes a little while to get going.

One area where we could all use help is with our spiritual memories. It seems we are selective when it comes to recalling the many times where God has provided for our needs. The disciples had a really short memory. Jesus had just recently fed the 5,000, and yet they fretted about the people in front of them who needed to be fed. In fact, this crowd was smaller.

This was a test of the disciples’ faith, and they failed. But so do we. So often we look only at our current set of trials and conclude, “It’s impossible.” We forget all the times He miraculously got us through. Jesus wants us to look at life through a Heavenly perspective. Our earthly minds can’t fathom how God can get us through a situation—how He’ll provide—but He always has a way.

I once heard it said, “If Jesus can provide salvation in Heaven, He can provide us with a hamburger.” In this case, it was a fish sandwich for everyone.

Ask the Lord today to help you remember His past blessings, which will build your faith in your present circumstances.

Some people complain because God put thorns on roses, while others praise Him for putting roses among thorns. — Unknown Author

Devotional by Dr. James A. Scudder