Walking in the Fog

 " Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Psalm 119:105

 

Many years ago, when I lived in Vermont, I worked about 40 miles away from where I lived. I traveled over a section of the Green Mountains known as the Brandon Gap. The road was full of twists and turns on the way up, and the way down was steep and filled with tight turns with a rock wall on one side and a river on the other. On a clear and lovely day, it was a fantastic ride. When the weather was not so agreeable, it could be a nightmare.

            One morning, as I was traveling to work, a heavy fog had set in. It was so thick that you could not see past the front end of the car. We have all felt so familiar with a road we travel every day that we could "do it with our eyes closed." Well, my eyes might as well have been closed, and I had traveled this road over a hundred times, but I had no idea where I was or what was ahead of me. All I could do was creep along and pray that no driver who felt braver than me was rolling down the road behind me or up the wrong lane in front of me.

            In remembering that terrifying trip (and it was terrifying), I think of times when life has felt like that. I have been enjoying my simple and wonderful life, and then bam! I am hit by something I did not expect to happen. Have you felt like that? The fog moves in and what was a familiar path is now unknown to you. You do not know what is ahead, and fear creeps in to freeze you in your tracks.

            These are the times that we need to run – not walk – to the word of God. Psalm 119:105 tells us it is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. It is a light brighter than the brightest headlights. It can cut through the fog and show us where we are going. Yes, there are times that all we can see is the next step, but that is all we need to see. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) knew this when he said, "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." All we need to move forward is the next step.

            The word of God is not there for us to use as witty sayings in conversation. It was not given to us as a weapon to prove we are morally superior to those in the world. It is our guide through life. Scripture teaches us how to live, or I should say, how to survive in this world. Living a godly life is not natural for us. It takes work and direction. God did not leave us on our own. He gave us His word to light the way and brake through the fog.

 

You can learn more about Personal Development from the author and speaker, John Patrick Hickey. To get his books, training material, or book him to speak to your church, business, or group, visit our website: www.growthcenter.net.  © 2022 John Patrick Hickey. No part of this material may be reprinted or published without the author's written permission.