During my first combat tour in Vietnam I was assigned as a pilot
flying small twin engine airplanes, delivering supplies and
passengers all over the country. The airplanes we flew had
retractable landing gear and would carry 10 passengers at about 200
miles per hour. One fear every pilot of such an airplane had was to
accidentally land gear up, forgetting to put the wheels down. We
often kidded about the old saying, “There are only two types of
retractable gear pilots; those who’ve landed gear up and those who
are going to!” To prevent such accidents every pilot is provided a
thorough Checklist that outlines in great detail the proper
procedures for virtually every action you can take while operating
the airplane.
One day one of our flight crews approached a small rugged airfield
for landing. It was barely big enough for that size airplane and had
just a dirt surface covered by interlocked steel planks to provide a
landing surface. It was a dangerous runway that required a lot of
planning, a lot of caution and skilled piloting to safely land
there. To complicate matters, they were flying in and out of small
rain showers, avoiding fighter jets in the area and having to
coordinate by radio with three different air traffic controllers at
the same time. Needless to say, they were busy and their attention
to detail was somewhat strained. Normally, when the power was
reduced for landing and the wheels weren’t down yet, a loud horn
would sound to warn the pilot. But as they made their final approach
to the runway they kept the engine power higher, due to turbulence,
so the warning never sounded. When both propellers began hitting the
runway they realized the wheels weren’t down! It was too late. As
they listened to the sound of paint and radio antennas being scraped
off the belly of the airplane they stopped being pilots and became
observers, unable to affect the outcome. The Landing Checklist
became a useless piece of paper. No one got a scratch but that
one-quarter-million dollar airplane never flew again.
How often do you get so distracted that you forget the basic things
that are most important in your life? Sometimes prayer becomes less
frequent, Bible study and worship take a back seat, fellowship and
activities become rare and you become an observer rather than a
participant in the quality life that God has for you. The Bible is
God’s Checklist for us, giving us detailed instructions on how to
avoid crashing and burning in this complicated world. Psalm 119:9-11
says, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to
your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from
your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not
sin against you.” Use the checklist!
Common Sense Application
1. Get a Bible with a good concordance and
dictionary. The NIV Life Application Bible is great! Use it to
research God’s instructions in subject areas affecting your life
daily.
2. Ask a leader at your church, or go to a
Christian Bookstore, for a plan to read the Bible through in the
most helpful order.
3. Find and attend, or start, a good Bible
Study for your age group; one which is a serious study group, not an
eating fellowship.
4. FOLLOW GOD’S CHECKLIST!
5. Happy landings!
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