Monday, January 21, 2013

Journey into the Fog


A couple of weekends ago I attended a men’s conference at a mountaintop retreat center. The weather forecast had been for rainy, overcast skies, but on the mountain a cloud descended and refused to leave.

As a result, we spent the weekend walking around in a fog. I’d been there once before, so I knew the layout. But for first-timers, venturing out from the lodge to the cafeteria or meeting hall with very limited visibility amounted to a walk of faith, either trusting that the person they were with knew the way, or relying on directions they’d received.

There’s something disconcerting about proceeding to an unseen destination in the darkening dusk, presuming the fog-enshrouded site is actually there waiting for you. It’s much more pleasant being able to see where you’re going.

In a very similar way, this journey we call life also amounts to a walk with extremely restricted visibility. Whether it involves our careers, families, finances, health, or other concerns for the future, none of us knows what lurks unseen around the next corner.

Life has taught me there will be many times when the way seems obscured, making it difficult to discern which way to go – or whether to go at all. And if you’re not in one of those times right now, be patient – you will be.

The good news is that God does know the way, and He can be trusted to guide our every step. For instance, the Scriptures tell us, “(His) word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105). As I understand it, that doesn’t refer to a long-range beacon illuminating the way several miles into the distance, but just far enough for us to advance a step or two at a time. Just like navigating an unfamiliar course in the fog.

There have been times when someone has given me directions to some destination, but I begin to question whether the suggested route is correct. “Did he mean right instead of left? Was I supposed to go this far?” That’s one reason the Bible exhorts, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). Even when the way seems unfamiliar or risky, God promises to guide the way to where we need to go.

Some people wonder, however, “Can I really rely on the Bible? How can I trust in God’s promises?” That’s where faith comes in. As 2 Corinthians 5:7 affirms, “We walk by faith, not by sight.”

Life has taught me one certainty: God is faithful and reliable, 100 percent of the time. “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19).

So when the fog descends and it’s hard to see the way, trust in the Lord. He knows the way.

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