Through The Fog

Therefore I will give thanks to You among the nations, O Lord, And I will sing praises to Your name.  Psalms 18:49 NASB

Jesus Christ, and all He represents, who He is and what He has done for us, comes to every person ever born as a gift of choice and while it cost the Messiah His very life as ransom for mankind - we Gods people are freely offered that gift of choice - There isn’t a more suitable simple word than that - a gift - It is not something we earn or something we make, not a badge for our boasting, not a credit to our creativity. Jesus is not our handyman. He has been given. He is God. 

When we say to Jesus, with trust in our hearts and love in our voice — sometimes with tears in our eyes — there is no other name, we do not mean that we are strong and deserving, that we have it figured out, Rather, we say precisely “Jesus You are the Saviour Therefore I will give thanks to You among the nations, O Lord, And I will sing praises to Your name”

There have been times in my life when I feel like I can’t see through the fog, I can sense the enemy uncomfortably close, and the knowledge of impending danger is looming large. And it’s hard get my voice to squeak out a prayer let along shout out a praise. 

But then I imagine the Israelites in the wilderness as they found themselves facing the red sea with Pharaoh and his army breathing down their backs. They were in a deep haze as a pillar of cloud stood behind them coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel.

Exodus 13:21-22 NASB The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

That gets me contemplating with Holy Spirit and asking Him - what if there are moments where the haze is God’s grace? What if we could see through the fog with eyes of faith? What if in the moment of turmoil with waves crashing over our ship we could choose to rest? Not over think every minute moment! Maybe Sleep even? What if instead of a fog of battle, we receive a fresh wind! Holy Spirit. Amen! 

Psalms 148:13 NASB Let them praise the name of the Lord, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above earth and heaven.

So what is it that makes the difference between the fog of battle and the cloud of glory? We are learning that it’s in the beholding. it’s in Who we see, and Who we see when we keep our eyes on the horizon is Jesus Christ! 

We can choose to stare at the fire, the fog, and the shadow, or we can stare at God. We can rest with Jesus in the middle of what could overturn us or try and fight our own way out only to sink in anxiety. 

We can panic or we can praise the Lord.

Praise fully establishes the reign of God in our lives.  Ultimately, praise reinforces the truth of who we are as God’s people and who God is. He alone is the One who makes us whole. He alone is the One who walks through the dark valley with us. 

Trust Him! Read the Bible with Holy Spirit every day! Pray a continuous conversation to Jesus Christ ever day! 

The truth is, whatever you are facing right now has an expiration date. But God’s presence, His acts, and His attributes remain forever constant. What you are going through may be trying to diminish who God is to you. But Guess what? Praise makes us see how big God is. And honestly when we catch a glimpse of how magnificent, holy and powerful God is, the problem just shrinks into its place of insignificance.