It’s been dropped from the headlines, and you probably aren’t even thinking about it anymore. But that Malaysian Airlines plane is still missing.
As the international effort quietly continues, it has been suggested that the plane may never be found.
I feel horrible for the families that have waited for over two months for any answers and still don’t know the complete story. With every possible “ping,” I hope they’re one step closer to recovery.
Sometimes we think we’ve conquered our world and that technology has made it small. With satellites, GPS, and smartphones, we no longer fear getting lost. The reality, though, is that we are small creatures and we still do lose our way.
David had the same thoughts thousands of years ago when he pondered who he was and how big God really is …
Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.”
—Psalm 139:7-12
You may be small.
You may be lost.
But if you take refuge in Jesus, you can be assured that he will be with you no matter what happens or where you are.
As David considered the fact that God knows who we are from the moment of conception, he’s overwhelmed and cries out, “How precious to me are your thoughts, God!”
Truly it is a precious thing to be known by God.
And yet it is a frightening reality to think how big the universe is and how God is even bigger. When I consider how big and holy God is and how small and sinful I am, I naturally shutter (Isaiah 6:3-5). I was born “at war” with this good God (Psalm 51:5). How is that I think I can get away with my rebelliousness (Psalm 139:7)?
I find great hope in the words that David concludes with in Psalm 139 …
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Have you prayed this prayer to Jesus?
He not only promises to forgive you of your sins if you ask (1 John 1:9), he also promises to give you his righteousness (Romans 3:22) so you can boldly approach God (Hebrews 4:14-16).
Your problems and sins may seem BIG, but you can cast your anxieties on Jesus, knowing that he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). And you can honestly ask him to expose your sin, knowing that he is making you holy and one day will lead you into his presence forevermore (Jude 24).
The one who trusts in God is never alone (Deuteronomy 31:6) and can rest assure that in the good and bad moments of life, he is always leading you “in the way everlasting.”
Where did that airplane go? I don’t know, but I’m confident God knows exactly where it is. I’m also confident that if anyone on that plane was trusting in Jesus, they are safe today in his presence.
Troy Lamberth is the executive producer of Haven Today. On the side, he teaches film at Providence Christian College, produces documentaries, and often teaches at his church. He enjoys discovering how Jesus is involved in all aspects of our lives—from faith to film to family—and how our relationship with him shapes the way we live. He and his wife Melissa have three young children.