When The Plane Takes Off, But There's Nowhere To Land

Psalms 13:2, “How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?”

Psalms 16:10, “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”

Psalms 23:3, “He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.”

The phrase “my soul” appears 102 times in the Psalms. If you're like me, and I'm sure you are, then there are just certain subjects that you prefer to avoid, knowing that once that plane takes off you won't be able to find any place to land.

I've been there a thousand times throughout my lifetime, when I started thinking or talking about a painful or emotionally difficult matter, and then I realized after several moments (or an hour later) that there was just not going to be any good place to end the conversation or thought process. The plane took off, but there was no good place to land to end the flight.

The best thing you can do in those difficult situations is to heed the Apostle Paul's exhortation to, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Philippians 4:6). And to heed the Apostle Peter's exhortation to, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1st Peter 5:7). So often, when I feel like there was nowhere to land the plane, I had to just walk away from the conversation or whatever has boggled down my mind with sorrow.

It is usually because I have mixed feelings or incomplete thoughts about a matter when I feel like their is no place to land the plane, because it is still an open book. Over time, when I've had plenty of time to process my thoughts, I usually find a place to land my planes. I think it is safe to say that we've all felt this way at times, and that is perfectly okay. We are only human.

Sometimes it is just best to change the subject and think or talk about something else.

When someone has hurt my feelings, I have often cried out in humility to my heavenly Father in prayer, something like this:

I love you LORD, and I pray that you would help comfort my soul. This world is so horrible. I don't even want to go outside my front door anymore because of how bad society has become. You foretold in 2nd Timothy 3:1-7 that "perilous times" would come, and they sure have. The churches are corrupt and polluted. The pastors are carnal, brutish and woefully lacking in compassion and love for people. The government is reckless and irresponsible. Nobody seems to care anymore. Please bless my website ministry and help me to help others LORD. You deserve so much better than we give you as your children. I love you!

And then I almost always go write another article for my ministry, to bury my conflicting feelings or pain of soul into my ministry work. Thousands of articles have been written over the years while my heart felt like it was in my feet, because of a heavy burden upon my soul at that moment.

I am often reminded of the Apostle Paul's words in 2nd Corinthians 12:15, “And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.” The more that we grow closer to God and His love, concern and compassion rubs off on us, the less loved we are going to feel in today's cold-hearted American society.

Tragically, pastors today are some of the worse offenders, woefully lacking in God's unconditional love for others. When I attended Campus Church at Pensacola Christian College (PCC) in 2021 for a few months, there was no love in that spiritually dead place. PCC is a prisonhouse of religion, as witnessed by hundreds of their former disgruntled students. 2nd Corinthians 12:15, “And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.”

King David was much hated and persecuted by his enemies in the Old Testament. Some people were envious of his massive success. Anytime you rise up head and shoulders above the crowd, someone will have it in for you out of envy. And then there were the friends and relatives of Uriah the Hittite, who hated David because he had stolen Uriah's wife, impregnated her and then had Uriah murdered in cold blood to conceal his wickedness. And then David had enemies who hated the God of Israel. The poor guy had an army of enemies who hated him.

With this truth in mind, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the Psalms are saturated with David's pain of soul, miseries and cries unto the LORD for deliverance. Psalms 11:1, “In the LORD put I my trust: How say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?” David's enemies told him to get lost, just fly away like a bird to the mountains of Judea, but David stood his ground by faith in the LORD. The word “enemy” in it's various forms is found 104 times in the Psalms.

When you feel deep pain of soul dear reader, run to the Psalms. You can listen to Alexander Scourby read the entire lengthy Book of Psalms in 4:23 hours.

Another thing that I often do when my feelings get hurt is to give $5 and a Gospel tract to someone. I recently went to Whataburger. I waited at the drive thru window for 5 minutes, but nobody said a word. I finally asked, “Is anybody working today?” Only then did a female say that they were short staffed. I kindly told her that she should have told me that 5 minutes ago. It took about another 25 minutes to get to the window for my food.

The only cashier working both windows was a young black woman. I gave her $5 and a Gospel tract, just to show her God's grace. I could have been upset and frustrated that I had to wait what seemed like 30 minutes. She was sweet and thanked me, and I had a great rest of the day. By God's grace, I am trying to live that way, taking the higher path in life. I don't always make that right choice, but by God's grace I am trying with His help to do better.

I learned a long time ago that as God's children we don't grow in strength, we grow in grace. 2nd Peter 3:18, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”