Oxygen Masks And Time With God - The One Year Father-Daughter Devotions

Oxygen Masks and Time with God

Have you ever paid attention to the safety procedures when you’re waiting for an airplane to take off? Passengers are instructed to pull out a reference card and follow along as flight attendants explain the safety features of the plane.

“There are the doors. . . . No smoking anywhere, anytime. . . . Here’s how you use a seat belt, and please keep it buckled. . . . Your seat cushion can be used as a flotation device if we land in water.”

Then there’s the oxygen mask. If the air pressure drops while the plane is in flight, masks will fall out of the ceiling. The flight attendants explain how to put on a mask, tighten it, and breathe. Of course, they assume everyone will remain calm in an emergency, which is probably wishful thinking. One additional piece of advice is that you should put on your mask before helping someone who needs assistance with his or hers.

Why? Well, if the plane loses pressure, the oxygen in the cabin gets sucked into the atmosphere. That’s why the masks are so important. By securing your mask, you receive the oxygen you need to function. If you help somebody before making sure you can breathe, you may pass out from a lack of oxygen. Then you couldn’t help anyone else, and you might end up in a world of hurt.

That same principle is seen throughout Jesus’ ministry on earth. Time and again, Jesus would go off by himself to spend time with God (see Luke 5:16). You might be wondering, Why would Jesus need that time if he was the Son of God? Jesus was setting an example for us. He firmed up his relationship by “putting on his mask” to get the spiritual oxygen he needed. The time Jesus spent in communication with God reenergized him. He wants us to do the same. Spending time alone with God is healthy, not selfish. Building up our own faith makes it easier for us to help others.

Daddy-Daughter Time

Have you made spending time with God a priority in your life? Resolve together to fortify your spiritual life. You can start small, but it’s important to get life-giving “spiritual” oxygen through prayer and fellowship with your heavenly Father. By helping your own relationship with God, you’ll be better able to help others know him as well.

What’s The Word?

Despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.   Luke 5:15-16