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When the Fog Rolls In

                Author Philip Yancey tells the story of a friend of his who decided to go for an evening swim in a lake near his cottage.  As the man swam along, fog enveloped the lake.  Unable to see any landmarks, the man turned around and began to swim back to shore.  Soon, though, he wondered if he was going exactly the right way, so he turned a little to his right and kept swimming.  A few minutes later, he began to panic.  He had no idea which way to go.  Swimming the wrong way in the fog and in the dark on a large lake could end badly, so, in an effort to calm himself, he floated on his back and caught his breath.  Then he began swimming again.  This went on for more than a half an hour until the man was completely lost.  He knew that the shore existed.  He knew it was real.  He just was not sure that he was ever going to find it.
                Can you relate to that?  It is not that I ever really doubt whether God exists or that he is out there somewhere.  I have no trouble believing that part.  However, when trouble comes, when the fog rolls in and I cannot see the way very clearly, it is easy for me to wonder, “Will God rescue me?  Will I find the right way?”
                In Psalm 3, David says things like, “You, Lord, are a shield around me… I call out to the Lord, and he answers me… the Lord sustains me”.  It is a very confident and assured piece of writing.  The interesting part, though, is that David did not write these words when things were easy.  In fact, the note at the start of the Psalm says, “A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom”.
                Absalom was David’s third son.  A handsome and powerful young man (2 Samuel 14:25), Absalom gathered enough supporters to start a rebellion.  David was forced to run for his life and it is during this time, when he family and his kingdom are both coming apart at the seams, that he writes the beautiful words of Psalm 3. 
                It is one thing to believe in God and follow him when times are good.  It is quite another to keep believing when things are difficult, the way is confusing and you do not know exactly how things will end. 
                Back to the swimmer in the lake for a moment.  Eventually, he heard his wife calling his name.  He focused on her voice, swam toward it and found his way home.
                God is calling. 
                If we, like David, focus on God instead of the fog, he will lead us home.

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