Pastor Ray's Daily Devotionals

Age And Experience Can Help With Adversity | July 25, 2023
By Pastor Ray Parascando 

I recently saw a picture on social media of a roller-coaster descending a steep drop. People in the cars were screaming and holding the safety bars tightly, except one man! He was calmly looking forward as if he were riding a merry-go-round. The picture caption said, "Jet fighter pilot on vacation."
‌Air Force fighter pilots have a physical, draining job. Their bodies are under constant strain because they face up to nine times the force of gravity. They have to crane their neck to keep watch on their enemy. Often, to maintain a tactical advantage, their ligaments strain, neck joints are pressured, and their internal organs are jostled in flight. It has been reported that a jet fighter feels like they were in a car accident after landing. Of course, this is secondary to the pilot's mental and emotional stress if the jet is in combat! The experiences in battle would make any roller-coaster seem like a carousel to a jet fighter pilot.
‌We stand to learn a lot from our experiences, especially the ones that involve trouble. Like that jet fighter, you may have been in some problematic situations. Maybe you were being fired on by your foes. Perhaps there was some turbulence or someone on your tail. Possibly the physical pain of your problem has drained you. Regardless of the backstory, you have the experience to draw upon that will help you with the roller-coaster rides of life.
‌Job 12:12 says, "Wisdom is with aged men, With long life is understanding."
‌With age comes wisdom that can help us in tough times if we listen to God and seek His kingdom plan first. If we run from God or back to a bad habit or destructive person, we will not learn from our experiences. Instead, we may incur more damages and increase our pain. The perspective of Scripture is that we should take inventory of our troubles and try and squeeze a life lesson from the difficulty.
‌By God's grace and our application of His wisdom, we can press forward and rise above our adversity.