It was late afternoon, as I drove up the highway, heading home. My attention was captured by the impending weather change. With a glance upward, I observed the rolling fog, slowly ebbing down the mountains before me. “It’s going to be a foggy morning tomorrow,” I shared with my daughter.
As those words came across my lips, I was reminded of a lesson God taught me years ago. This lesson also involved a time of obscured vision.
I love the beach. It is my favorite place to be. I especially love those oh-so-hard-to-find secluded stretches of beach. Although the beach captured my heart many years ago, with ministry, it is not always easy to get away and enjoy it. One year a close friend was driving through Florida on her way to vacation. Although she hadn’t planned a stop at the beach, knowing my love for oceans, she made a detour in hopes of sending me a video of the beach, up close and personal. However, she was unable to make the video, instead she called me. She said, “It’s the craziest thing, I can hear the crash of the waves, I can even smell the ocean, but I can’t see it. The fog is so heavy, I can’t see beyond it at all. I know it’s there, but I couldn’t prove it, it is not visible at all.”
Over the years God has reminded me of the lesson of fog many times.
One definition of fog is something that obscures and confuses a situation, or someone’s thought processes:
I believe we are seeing a lot of fog across our land and even in our personal lives. The news is shouting negative news daily. It seems to be getting worse and worse, at least if you feed only on news media. What is behind all this fog?
There are times and seasons in our life when we know God has made a promise. We have His Word to back it up. Perhaps He has even confirmed it repeatedly. Yet, we can’t see it. Why? There seems to be an unending bank of fog overshadowing the very thing we know is there. The promise we know belongs to us.
God has made us promises for our cities and our nation.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jer 29:11)
If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chron 7:14)
We have these precious promises from a God who cannot lie. We know they are there for us, most of us are even certain we will see them fulfilled in our lifetime. However, there seems to be something standing in the way of us stepping into the fulfillment of them.
Instead of promises, we are seeing things appear to grow worse. Instead of peace, we are hearing threats of wars. Instead of our children dwelling in peace, they are afraid to attend school due to massive school shootings. It’s hard to see the promise beyond the fog. Instead of health and healing, we may be battling a negative diagnosis. Instead of family unity, we battle division and strife. However, just like the ocean that day – the promise is still there – just beyond the fog.
The enemy is using the fog to discourage you. To obscure and to confuse the situation. To make us feel like there is nothing but gloom and doom ahead for us. However, that is not what God says. He says He has a good plan for us. A good future. He says He will heal our land and restore our family. He is not a man that He should lie. If He has said it, and He has, He will bring it to pass. We will see it. His goodness will be poured out in our life, we have His word on it. Don’t let the fog fool you. The promise is still there.
My friend, take a deep breath. Breathe in the promises and God and exhale trust. He is still there. He will never leave us nor forsake us. The promises of God in Him remain…yes and Amen.
