Yesterday morning I went on a prayer journey. I drove my truck West, and headed for Bald Peak. It was very foggy. The fog was everywhere and created confusion because I couldn’t see anything – even things that were familiar to me I did not recognize, and I got lost a few times. I pondered this and understood the metaphor that God was showing me.
Fog is a very powerful metaphor for the effect of sin. Sin literally means “missing the mark.” It’s the word God uses throughout the Bible to describe our motivations, attitudes, & actions that go against the grain of His creation, intent, character. I have sin in my life that rears its head now & then, and blocks my view. Just as fog blocks the warmth & light of the sun, sin blocks God’s influence from our lives. The fog also took away the pleasure of the journey because I couldn’t see anything to appreciate the view. It made the journey feel like drudgery, especially when I was going uphill…all there was at that moment was the painful toil and work of going up the hill in the fog and I said out loud “This is exactly how I feel right now.” Drudgery…have you been there?
Another thing about fog is that it moves. It is not stable or predictable but malevolent, intending to create confusion and havoc. As I continued to travel higher and higher up the mountain, I eventually broke through the fog and was surrounded by blue sky and sunlight and all of God’s beauty around me. It had been there all the time but I was consumed inside the fog and could not see it. This is the type of reality I want to come into, and my soul pleaded with God that I will be able to experience this sunny & promising state in my inmost place . His promises to us are always that if we pursue him, and endure trials, and accept the rod of discipline when we screw-up; that we will emerge in his perfect timing into the place of warm & bright flourishing…where he designed our spirits to live. I trust in God to be true and reliable, so I take hope in this.
Then I remembered where the fog came from, it came from my own weaknesses and bad choices and spiritual wandering…so in his justice as a good Father, the process of getting me out of it will take time and effort on my part. God will not give us all the answers that we seek while we are in the fog, but will instruct us to put one foot in front of the other and be faithful. Then after watching & helping us be faithful for awhile, will restore strength & vision. God will not bless you with deeper understandings or further visions until you are faithfully doing and being what he has already put in front of you.
God is so faithful! So wise and gracious and good to His children!
“I have swept away your sins like a cloud.I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist.Oh, return to me,for I have paid the price to set you free.” Isaiah 44:22
4 replies on “The Fog”
This will be the third time I've tried to post. Am I frustrated, of course! I'm figuring that the enemy of our souls doesn't want my thoughts published or God doesn't want them posted or I'm just an old man who didn't get some help first to understand that I had to sign in first. I wish a pop up would have alerted me prior to all the effort, good lesson though!
Shawn, I really appreciate your sharing about your "foggy" journey story. I will study it several times. to get the full benefit.
It takes me back to when I first started having seizures 6-7 years ago. When they first started, 15-45 minutes later someone would be telling me what happened. I was certainly in a "fog" and very thankful that myself or others were not harmed. Thinking about it now after having read your post, I've been on a pretty cchallengingjourney in accepting the fact that God really does love me in t. he midst of my disobedience and willful sin, is there any other kind? Several months while on this journey, I was pretty tired, heading way south in my sin and took another one of my many exits. Little did I know, I'd have the pleasure of meeting Hosea and Gomer. It wasn't in a very nice part of town but there was a lot of noise and action. I ran into Hosea and he asked if I knew Gomer and where she might be. He had a distraught look, telling me she was his wife. I said I would try to help, he said he'd appreciate it. We kinda' hit it off and he told me about wanting to obey God. Originally, God told him to marry Gomer, that she wad a prostitute and had gone back into her former trade again. Next thing I knew he spotted her and took off running. When I got to where he was, he was telling the head guy she was his wife and he said that was fine but he'd have to pay for her like anyone else. He did and they left hurriedly. He looked back with tears in his eyes and said thx friend.
All of my life I've had a difficult time believing God could love me, especially in the midst of my sin. Now I believe He does. He doesn't just wait for me to come back, He pursues me and is right there in His holiness amidst my filth, shame and guilt. I no longer need to run or try to hide from Him when I sin. He's right there wanting me to jump in His lap to be secure in His loving arms and grace.
I became His bride when born again from above. There's no divorce or casting away even in the midst of my adulterous actions. He's willing to buy back that which He already owns just as Hosea did!!
I'm still working on this next part and am becoming more content not trying to understand it. Not only does He have an etetrnal love for me but through Jesus' willful sacrifice on the cross, you and I have become the righteousness oh God in Him !!! And, we have been given the opportunity to offer this wonderful good news to those who have not yet become one of the brides. "Not imputing (keeping track of) their sins, there gone, done with forever. It's not the sin question, it's the Son question. No more condemnation or hypocritical judgment. Come on in to my church!!!
I usually go over for spelling etc. but didn't want hit the wrong 'something' and lose it.
Thank you for the forum to share our thoughts.
EKG
Thanks for the comments brother, I'm thankful for the feedback and glad you were encouraged!