On April 1, 2026, Artemis II lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B. I am one of many people who believed the story was an April Fools’ joke. As I write this, the astronauts on board have allegedly flown farther from planet Earth than any other humans. Part of me keeps waiting for someone to say, “April Fools!” But based on coverage by all the major news outlets, the story seems legitimate. Some people around us will still be doubters, believing this to be a hoax as well as the original moon landings in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Recently, I found myself wondering if the original moon landings were real until I watched this presentation by astronaut Charlie Duke. His sincerity and his story are very compelling, and so is his faith.
One part of his story stuck out to me. The way he described all the practice they put into learning to land the lunar module. The astronauts went through thousands of landing runs on a simulator to get good enough to handle the real thing. On that simulator, they failed more than they succeeded, but they got better because of the practice.
I suppose that makes sense, but sometimes I expect perfection without the practice. It is easy to judge myself and others harshly. That was my emotional response to Abram’s stumble right after God called him in Genesis chapter 12. God called him in verse 1. He left his home in obedience in verse 4. Then, in verses 11-14, he told his wife to lie and say she was his sister. This was Abram’s first test. He lied and failed to trust God right out of the gate. Instead of trusting God to keep his promise of protection and provision, Abram lied to protect himself, and he made his wife lie too.
It would be nice to get a practice run for our decisions and choices, but God doesn’t give us simulators. God did get Abram and his wife out of the trouble the lie got them in, but how did it affect their relationship afterward? How would my wife feel if I gave her away to protect my skin? I picture that causing a big hurt in our relationship and impacting her sense of trust in me.
I’m thankful that God didn’t abandon Abram or his wife because of their failure, and I’m thankful that he won’t abandon us for messing up either. Take a moment and thank God for another day to practice our faith and live out our trust in him!
John Riley
Junior High Pastor