Fog Rolls In

I woke one morning and as usual looked out the window to see what sort of day we might expect to have. After a couple of days of rain the sky seemed to be clearing, a fine day was possible. I could see across the valley to the clouds on the horizon. A few minutes later I took another look and was surprised to see that a fog was starting to cover my view.

I was thinking about our future and how there were days when we can clearly see what lies ahead of us and then suddenly something happens and the future is again shrouded in mystery.

My thoughts turned to David the shepherd boy. Here was a young man, who knew for certain what his destination was, he was anointed by God to be King of Israel. For a while things seem to head smoothly in that direction. He could see how things would work out effortlessly even though he knew that he had to wait for Saul to be removed. I have a feeling that he figured that at some point Saul would die and he would just step up to the throne and take his place without bloodshed and drama.

What actually happened could not have been further from the truth. Saul’s jealousy, fear and guilt mean that David has to run for his life and navigate his way through various tricky traps set by the King and his staff. How did David stay focused on this God given vision? It must have felt like the longest 14 years of his life.

Then I found it! “David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” 1 Samuel 30:6b.

So on those days when we wake up to clear skies and then see a fog roll in, we need to remember David, the man who was to be king of Israel, and be encouraged in the Lord our God who has given us a mission which will still be there when the fog burns off.