Surviving the turbulence of life is the central theme of this podcast episode. I share my personal experiences with fear and anxiety, particularly related to air travel, to illustrate how we can face challenges we might prefer to avoid. Utilizing 2nd Timothy 3:16-17, I emphasize the importance of Scripture as a guide to navigate life's difficulties and to equip us for good works. I reflect on the wisdom gained from those who have gone before us, encouraging listeners to seek advice from those who have weathered similar storms. My hope is that, despite life's uncertainties, we can find joy, purpose, and peace through our faith and the teachings of the Bible.

Takeaways:

• Navigating life's turbulence requires advice from those who have experienced similar challenges.
• Staying anchored in the Bible can provide guidance and comfort during difficult times.
• Listening to wise counsel from others can help us avoid unnecessary hardships in our lives.
• Maintaining a strong relationship with God is essential for finding purpose and joy amidst life's chaos.
• The importance of consistently reading the Bible is to build a solid foundation for life.
• Life's turbulence can be managed better when we trust in God's word and His promises.

Links referenced in this episode:

• www.bible805.com

Welcome to the Hobo Soul Podcast of Road advised from the Bible and from me, Yvon Prehn, someone who's a little further down the road of life.

I'll talk to you every Tuesday and Thursday for about 10 minutes and if you'd like more in depth information on walking with Jesus, you can find that at my www.bible805.com website. For now, let's get started on our topic for today, which is

episode number 45, how to Survive the Turbulence of life.

Our scripture today is 2nd Timothy 3, 16 and 17 where it says "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we're wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work."

I was and I am terrified of air travel. I get violently motion sick now. Not just a little uneasy, queasy kind of motion sick, but violently as I will throw up all over myself and pass out.

Which has happened more than once unless I'm heavily medicated, which I usually am when I fly. Now.

Turbulence also terrifies me, even though I clutch a little notebook of Bible verses that I read and pray over, especially as we take off and whenever turbulence hits.

Now I'm sharing that because first of all I have a great airline story to share and secondly, because sometimes I just want to assure you that we're called to do things we might not rather do because we feel like the Lord wants us to do them. That was the situation for me for over 15 years when I traveled all over North America teaching full day seminars to church communicators.

On a typical week I'd leave Monday, come back Thursday or Friday, teach in three to four cities that week, often dashing from one airport to another after each seminar to catch a plane to go to the next one. Because I love Jesus and the people that he led me to teach more than I was afraid to fly.

I kept doing it though it never got easier and I was never not afraid when the turbulence hit.

In the midst of these adventures, on one flight I happened to sit next to a pilot and I asked him how they knew what was ahead and how to avoid the scary really severe stuff, the turbulence that had me white knuckled. I was hoping for some 21st century technology based dancer.

I'd seen something on CNN about the great advances in radar displays and weather forecasting and I wanted to know the details on the latest tech tool that might help calm my turbulence terrorized nerves. But that's not how he answered. He simply stated, you asked the guy right in front of you. He continued.

We've got the radar and try to avoid the green areas, which are bad, and especially the purple areas, which are really bad. But the most reliable information comes from the pilot who is flying the plane just ahead of you.

The reason that beats technology any day is that the guy right in front of you has actually been through the weather and he can give you the best advice. His words made sense to me. Let me repeat the important part, he said.

The guy right in front of you has actually been through the weather and he can give you the best advice. That didn't particularly help my nerves.

I mean, it seemed to me that some of the pilots obviously weren't paying really good attention to the pilot in front of them. But at the same time, I've never forgotten his words later as I thought about it. That is great advice for hobo souls.

You need advice from those who've gone before and can help you navigate the turbulence as you travel through life.

I'm especially challenged in thinking about the value of listening to what's gone before, as I have a nephew who's graduating from high school this year.

I care deeply for him and for my other nephews, my one niece and the many other children of various ages, and the relationships that I have with him that I love dearly.

And there are some lessons in life, both from the turbulence avoided and turbulence gone through, that I'd like to share with him in the coming weeks. It's a given that the world we live in is a mess, and it most likely isn't going to get any better anytime soon.

But I believe that the people of God can live lives of incredible joy, purpose, and peace, no matter what's going on. Jesus said you are the light of the world. He said that without reference to the darkness that surrounds and seems to be closing in on us.

You simply are light and I want to help you shine brightly the podcast in the next few weeks might be a little bit more directive than it has been in the past, though some of the advice is more applicable to younger listeners. I'm thinking about my nephew and all of them a little bit more this time, but most of it will apply to everyone at any age.

The podcast will, as usual, start with a statement of advice, then, as always, a Bible verse or passage that relates to the topic, and then thoughts and specific advice on the topic. Now let me say something about the Bible verse. It isn't just a nice token decoration to start the podcast.

I believe the Bible is truly and completely the Word of God, and any advice, if it's to be of any value, must serve, start with and be anchored in God's Word.

I'm deeply disturbed in reading a number of things recently that a number of the Christian writers and speakers, even some that I admire, seem to increasingly have a low view of the Bible.

They'll talk about how much of it has authority, but various sections for various reasons they refer to as either fanciful stories or folk tales, or that maybe even Jesus didn't really know what he was talking about when he referenced certain topics.

Though I have the academic background and years of in depth study that I could refute them on a scholarly level, I find many of their comments simply without merit because they haven't researched them carefully. They just listen to other people or pick up advice or whatever. And most of what, well, not most.

All that I've checked out that they've said in a negative way is simply not true.

But that aside, once you start slicing and dicing the Bible, how do you even know what parts you can rely on that you can trust your eternal destiny on?

In contrast, as I said, I believe the Bible is true and the stories in it, including all everything on Job and Jonah, are true stories about real humans and are part of what it describes. When it says that all scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.

It corrects us when wrong and teaches us to do what is right, God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. I truly, truly believe and teach that it is all scripture that is all useful. All of it teaches all truth, all of it corrects and equips our lives.

Again, once you start trying to figure out if this part or that part is true or not, I don't know how you can confidently know anything about God. Now I am going to teach, assuming that we can trust all of it to teach us about God.

The topics for the next few weeks will be based on a biblical view and they'll fall under the categories of things like what I really want you to know and do in life and how to avoid doing really stupid, dumb and destructive things, and most of all, how to focus on what's eternally and truly important.

The enemy Nowadays, he can't tempt a lot of you to do really evil, horrible things, but he can keep you busy and distracted and he can have you doing things that maybe aren't evil but don't necessarily contribute to anything in helping the world, or your eternal soul for that matter. Now I know my life is far from perfect and I don't have the final word on anything.

But as I look back on quite a bit of mileage, there are lots of things that I'm glad I did early on that have served me well over the years.

I've stayed out of the sun, mostly because I've worked inside, but the doctors tell me that I don't have cataracts and very few lines in my face compared to people my age because I've stayed out of the sun. Now, silly things like that and vanity aside, the best thing that I've done for many years is to read through the Bible cover to cover every year.

That practice has made the Bible, the background score, the foundation, the rock solid assurance of my life. Better than any human pilot. It's told me what's ahead, what to avoid, what is best faced, and what simply needs to be pushed through.

I may not have been able to avoid turbulence in many areas, but with God's Word as my foundation, I've survived them and I've often thrived in spite of them.

As we start this new series in the Hopeless Soul podcast, my prayer is that it will be God's Word that will be the sure guide and comfort for you, no matter what the turbulence ahead.

That's all for this podcast, for transcripts, links to related material, and much more to help you learn to know, trust, apply and teach the Bible, go to www.bible805.com for now, let me end with this benediction and prayer.

May you walk each day surrounded by the gracious love of the Father, guided by the gentle wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and conscious of the astoundingly real presence of Jesus, who will walk with you until you're no more a hobo soul, no more a transient wandering heart, but at home in the kingdom prepared for you with your God forever. Amen.