Out of the Fog and Into the Light
A few weeks ago, as I was making my way to the church office, I encountered a heavy fog at the foot of Warner Hill. I could barely see the road in front of me as I ascended the imposing grade.
Then, suddenly, as I reached the top of the hill, I was greeted by a bright blue sky and plenty of sunshine. Such a dramatic contrast! One moment, my visibility was almost completely obscured; the next moment, I could see for miles.
What an appropriate metaphor for our journeys in life! Some are clouded and uncertain; others are clear and bright. Regardless of the conditions, however, Jesus assures us that he is always with us and that he will never leave us.
When we encounter the fog in a figurative sense, it is often a result of something we did or failed to do — an error in judgment, a poor choice, an unwise behavior. The fog rolls in, and we struggle to see our way to clearer thinking, realizing that we must change our ways and follow the path He set before us. Other times, the fog sneaks up on us, and, through no fault of our own, smothers us, making navigation almost impossible.
An old high school coach of mine had a unique theory: when you drive into fog, hit the accelerator and drive out of it as quickly as possible. There is some logic in that, theoretically, the faster you drive, the more quickly you will get through the fog, but such decisions bring considerable risk — namely the danger of driving off the road or into another vehicle.
Some of the more prudent thinkers might suggest that it would be best to pull over, find a safe location, and wait until the fog burns off — but that could take hours.
How about you? What do you do when you encounter a deep, dense fog in your life?
For me, well, I’m not one to pull over. I guess I’m stubborn regarding time, so I usually proceed slowly and with an abundance of caution.
When it comes to that figurative fog in life that clouds our vision and impedes our way forward, I also proceed slowly, but now I’m starting to wonder. Perhaps I should move to the passenger seat and let Him do the driving.
In Isaiah 7:11, we are advised to “Ask the Lord [our] God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.” The bottom line is that we should seek His guidance at all times, whether deep in the valley or high atop a mountain.
And there is also this from I Peter 2:9 — a reminder that we are “God’s special possession, that [we] may declare the praises of Him who called [us] out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
The best advice, the clearest option is this” “Follow Him, and we shall prosper!”
Until we meet again, Be Blessed! – Pastor John