I was on an airplane flight from Chicago to Newark, and suddenly the pilot came on and he said, "You may have noticed that we are not going East any more, we're headed North. We're going to have to make an emergency landing in Detroit."
Well, I want to tell you; those words didn't thrill everybody particularly. Not because there's anything wrong with Detroit. It's fine, but emergency landings aren't real exciting. No. He went on to say, "We're having a little problem with our hydraulic system." Then the next thing we knew, before the landing, the flight attendants came through and three times they checked to see how tight our seat belts were. Of course, everybody on the plane is starting to speculate about, "Do we have a problem with our wing flaps, or our landing gear?" This could be pretty serious!
Now, my immediate neighbor was a very sweet grandma. She was really anxious. The next guy down said, "You know what? I'll bet our wheels aren't down. This could be really bad." Oh, that helped! Thank you.
Now, we had a very shaky approach to the airport, but I've got to tell you, thank God we had a smooth landing. Then I saw the welcoming party; fire engines and emergency equipment all over!
Now, who knows how close a call it really was? But I'll tell you this, the possibility of a crash squeezed out the inner emotional contents from all the passengers. And it was a good test for me. You know, actually I tried to lighten up the grandma's anxiety with a little humor. I told her we were going to get a trip to Detroit for no extra charge, and I kind of kept on doing my work. I honestly felt pretty much as safe as if I would in my living room.
And that's when grandma asked the question, and I'll tell you what I told her.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Peace That Stands the Test."
Now, our word for today from the Word of God comes from John 14:27. It's a good word for a man whose plane may have trouble landing. "Peace I leave with you." Now, can you think of a sweeter word? "My peace I give you" Jesus said. "I do not give you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid." You know what? I wasn't.
Grandma said to me, "You know, you were so calm. You were totally calm. I was glad I was sitting next to you. That other man didn't help very much, but I'm glad I was sitting next to you." And I said, "Well, can I tell you why I was calm?" She said, "Yeah, why?" I said, "It's because of Christ in my life. See, the peace doesn't come from what's going on around me. The peace comes from who is going on inside me."
Jesus said He doesn't give you peace like the world gives. World peace-the world's kind, you're okay if the surroundings are pleasant, the situation is stable, and if your life or security isn't in danger. That's external, therefore it's 'loseable'.
I know a couple and one is facing lymphatic cancer, the other, bypass surgery at the same time. And they're giving a simple testimony. The Lord has virtually said to them almost verbally, "I will never leave you or forsake you." And I said to them, "You are facing death and suffering with God's peace and it has stood the test." See, that's peace that nothing can take from you - a peace that you might desperately need right now.
Well, you know, peace is a person. The person is Jesus. He forgives your sin, He guarantees heaven, He promises His powerful care, He'll be the constant no matter what changes. That's peace! My life isn't in the hands of a pilot, or a surgeon, or an adversary. It's in my Savior's hands. When you make your peace with God, you have God's peace. The worst can happen, the best remains. What a rock solid calm you can have at the center of your soul if you'll make the Prince of Peace, your Prince.
If you've never opened your heart to this forgiver of sins, this giver of peace, this guarantee-er of heaven, Jesus Christ, let this be the day you say, "Lord, I stop running my life. You pilot my life from here on. I'm giving myself to the One who died for me."
There's more about this at our website. I encourage you to go there - ANewStory.com. Ask anyone who's been to the edge with Christ in their heart. This peace - His peace stands the test.