Day 16: Arresting Gear

Job 32:17–18: (KJV) “I said, I will answer also my part, I will also shew mine opinion. For I am full of matter, the spirit within me constraineth me.”

Standing on the fantail of the JFK provides a fantastic view of planes landing on this great vessel. For every pilot, landing is extremely difficult. Studies have shown that a pilot’s stress level at landing on a carrier is greater than when they are in actual combat. A fast-moving plane must land and come to a complete stop on a slow-moving flight deck. These giant planes come barreling in at speeds of more than 100 miles per hour. Each has a tail hook designed to catch a cable that extends across the width of the flight deck. (When the aircraft attempt to land, even as they touch the flight deck, they power their engines to full throttle so if their tail hook does not catch, they can touch and go. They continue their flight, circle the ship, and try again.) Pilot skills notwithstanding, only the arresting cable can bring the aircraft to a safe and uneventful stop.

Job, I believe, understood something about barreling along in life at speeds that require outside assistance to make a complete stop. He reasoned that this assistance must be divine. There are times when he knew he must have the Spirit of God to end his slide toward calamity. If the truth were told, we are all susceptible to this kind of behavior. Our momentum often gets the best of us. Falling prey to untoward actions or to our unbridled tongues, we can barrel toward our own destruction with blinding speed. Thank God that his arresting cable of divine grace is stretched across the flight deck that is our life. Remember:

When I cannot control myself and am—on my own—unable to slow or cease,
Restrain me with heaven’s arresting gear, to ensure my safety and my peace.
Whether in action, thought, or deed, I barrel out of control,
I yield to you, great Savior, you are the constrainer of my soul.

Questions to Consider:

• When might I need God to restrain my actions?
• How do I respond when God restrains me? How have I responded in the past?

Reflection for the Day:

• Consider the joy of God’s control and our need to trust him completely.