Opening the blinds one winter morning, I faced a shocking sight. A wall of fog. “Freezing fog”, the weather forecaster called it. Rare for our location, this fog came with an even bigger surprise: a later forecast for blue skies and sunshine—“in one hour”. “Impossible,” I told my husband. “We can barely see one foot ahead.” But sure enough, in less than an hour, the fog had faded, the sky yielding to a sunny, clear blue.
Standing at the window, I pondered my level of trust when I can only see fog in life. I asked my husband, “Do I only trust God for what I can already see?”
When King Uzziah died and some corrupt rulers came to power in Judah, Isaiah asked a similar question. Who can we trust? God responded by giving Isaiah a vision so remarkable that it convinced the prophet that the Lord can be trusted in the present for better days ahead. As Isaiah praised, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you” (Isaiah 26:3). The prophet added, “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal” (v. 4).
When our minds are fixed on God, we can trust Him even during foggy and confusing times. We might not see it clearly now, but if we trust God, we can be assured His help is on the way.
By Patricia Raybon
REFLECT & PRAY
When life looks foggy and confusing, where can you put your trust? How can you turn your mind from today’s problems to our eternal God?
The world looks foggy and confusing today, dear God, so help me fix my mind on You, in whom I can forever trust.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Isaiah 26:4 includes the metaphor of a rock, which depicts the security and safety found in God: “The Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.” The Hebrew word for rock is tsur. What’s literally in view is a cliff, rock, or boulder. Figuratively, what’s described is a refuge. This word is used three times in Psalm 18 (vv. 2, 31, 46). In verse 2 , the psalmist multiplies metaphors to stress divine dependability: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock [tsur], in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” In Isaiah 26:4, the word tsur is paired with olam, which means long duration, forever, everlasting, perpetual: “The Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.” The pairing of these words enhances God’s credibility exponentially. Trust Him. His faithfulness is unending!
Arthur Jackson
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