He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32

There are people who have tempers, and there are people who have tempers!

This devotion deals with a 16-year-old teenage boy who has a temper. It begins with him having had an argument with his parents. Now an argument between a teenage boy and his parents is not the kind of stuff that makes the news. Indeed, this argument would have gone unnoticed and unmentioned if it were not for the fact that this boy has a temper.

After the fight the boy ran away, managed to make it to the San Jose Airport where he hopped the security fence and climbed into the wheel well of Hawaiian Airlines Flight 45, which was scheduled to make a five and a half hour flight to Maui, one of the Hawaiian Islands. No, that's not right. Maybe I should say the jet was scheduled and made a five and a half hour flight to Maui.

The plane cruised at 38,000 feet. The outside temperature got down to 80 degrees below zero.

Experts say the lad probably passed out sometime after the plane went above 10,000 feet. We have to rely on the opinions of experts because the boy remembers very little of his escapade. All he can recall is when the authorities picked him up as he was wandering aimlessly around the Maui airport's tarmac.

The FBI says it is a miracle the boy with a temper is alive. The airline, a bit more cautious in its evaluation, says he is "lucky to have survived." Both are probably right. While there are documented reports of wheel-well stowaways surviving, most don't.

Now, there is any number of morals one could draw from this story. One would be if you want to get somewhere safely on a plane, buy a ticket. Another might be don't rely on luck or miracles to get you to your final destination. Still, the lesson which seems most fitting is don't lose your temper.

You see, my friends, there are a lot of people who lose their temper with God. They think He is unjust, uncaring, vindictive, and a whole host of other uncomplimentary adjectives. These folks lose their temper with God, and they run away from Him.

That is a dangerous thing to do. It is dangerous because, without God and the salvation which Jesus has won, they are not going to survive. There is no miracle, no amount of luck, which is going to help them.

No, don't lose your temper with God. He, who has given and sustains your life, has also sacrificed His Son. This He has done out of His fatherly divine goodness, grace and mercy. He has done everything necessary so you can be saved, which also means He won't do anything that is not ultimately and finally for your own good.

When you come to believe that, you simply can't lose your temper with your loving Lord.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, forgive my pride, my temper, and any question I might have concerning Your good intentions. Help me see that You, who have given Your Son to win my salvation, will also do that which is right and best for me. In Jesus' Name I pray it. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: 2 Samuel 1-2    Luke 24:36-53

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