Lighting the way for others …

The pilot of a small, single engine airplane was behind schedule on his flight taking him to a small country airport. The sun had just set, which meant it was late enough that no one was on duty at the tiny, rural airport.

As the pilot approached his destination, he was alarmed that there weren’t any lights on anywhere at the little airstrip, making it impossible for him to distinguish the runway from the terrain around it. Not knowing what to do, he circled the area for two hours, trying to figure out some way to safely land.

With his fuel running low, the pilot realized he could only make two more circles around the airport. If he attempted to land without any lights, he would surely crash and probably die.

A man living near the airstrip heard the continuous buzzing of the airplane around the airport and figured out why the plane continued to circle. He got into his car and rushed to the airport. The man turned on the high beams of his car headlights and drove the length of the runway a couple times, then parked his car at the end of the airstrip so his headlights illuminated the runway.

Because of the car headlights shining on the airstrip, the pilot was able to see the runway and brought his plane in for a perfect landing.

Christians understand the danger of the darkness, for we were plucked from it and provided a safe landing in the light of Christ.

“But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light,” 1 Peter 2:9.

Now we are to provide the light others need to pierce their darkness and see God.

“You are the light of the world — like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father,” Matthew 5:14-16.

Are you living as a light to the world? Or are you leaving those in the dark to face their own peril?

Scotty