We all know about the flight of the Spaceship Columbia, which after the initial take-off, climbed to the altitude of 189 miles and circled the globe at 17,000 miles per hour! Altogether it made 113 orbits in seven days.

It was one of the greatest displays of power the world had ever seen.

And when it ran out of power it fell out of the sky, its belly glowing white-hot from re-entry into the atmosphere, and finally glided to a stop on the salt flats in the desert of California.

Spaceship Columbia was a magnificent scientific feat. But its power to leave earth, indeed its momentum to stay aloft, was created by man.

Eagles, because of their ability to find the thermals-those columns of warm air which rise from the earth- are able to stay aloft indefinitely, often without even moving their great wings. But Columbia was not an eagle. It was a spaceship. As a result it was destined to fall on earth.

That's the problem with most of us-with all of us. We have a certain amount of natural power. But for some reason, we don't have enough to make it all the way to the end. a few seem to get a good start, but even they fall to earth in the long run and the rest of us never do even get off the launching pad. We just sit there and sputter. Sometimes we don't even have enough power to do that, and the first little breeze that comes along topples us into the dust where we lay forgotten-as though we never existed in the first place.

Recently some highly successful people, who have risen to the top of their profession, were asked about their lives. When they were asked about the power that keeps them aloft they all gave the same answer. GOD.

That's right, they said their power for living came from a personal relationship with God. Unlike Spaceship Columbia which was put aloft by man's efforts, they all said they had tried man's way and found empty. But when they turned to God, and allowed Him to take control of their lives, they began to soar.

"God?" you say. "Well, He might be able to help folks who already have made it. But what about me?"

Wait a minute. God is not just for the famous, or the rich, or those nice folks who dress up to go to church or temple. God is for everyone. He loves those who are helpless. He loves the alcoholics, the drug addicts, those who have lost power and are tumbling end over end in space, headed for a sure crack-up(unless they burn out first on re-entry). He loves the fellow who's out of work, the housewife caught in the web of adultery, the lonely teenager, the frustrated businessman.

He loves you. And if you will let Him, He will not only direct your path but will give you power to live.

Power for Living. A long time ago the prophet Isaiah discovered this. What he wrote has been tested by millions of people from all walks of life, across the years. Now it's your time to test it, too, and let God give you the power, not only to live but also to live abundantly. Here's what Isaiah said:

Be encouraged!