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bigmike

DAILY DEVOTION
Keep the Runway Clear
Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
Luke 12:35-37
In 2003, the Izhma Airport in northern Russia was closed to fixed-wing aircraft. Its remote location made continued operations financially impossible. Although a small helicopter landing pad remained in use, the 160 employees who had kept the airport running were laid off. Only one worker, Sergey Sotnikov, stayed behind. He was tasked with maintaining the facility. Yet Sotnikov did more than simply care for the helipad. For seven years after the airport’s closure, he continued maintaining the abandoned runway. In 2010, when Alrosa Airlines Flight 514 suffered a complete electrical failure, the pilots desperately searched for a place to land. Because Sotnikov had faithfully kept the runway in usable condition, the plane was able to land safely, saving the lives of all eighty-one people on board.
There are days when we wonder whether faithfulness and diligence is worth it or not. There are days when we wonder if anyone will ever notice the things we are doing. There are days when it seems like drudgery and boredom are our constant companions, and that things will never change. It is critical for us to remain consistent and faithful—both in our work and service for God, and in our responsibilities to jobs, families and churches. It may be that no one will ever present us an official reward like the one Sergey Sotnikov received from the government of Russia, but we can be certain that God is keeping records. Not even the smallest act of faithful service will be forgotten or overlooked. “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward” (Mark 9:41).
Faithfulness is always the right response, regardless of whether anyone notices it or not.
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