There is one particular area on a route that I used to take regularly that is breathtaking on certain mornings. As the fog is lifting from the river valley, the cattle are grazing in the fields covered in dew. The bluffs above the river are barely visible, with wisps of fog covering them. And the river itself looks serene, as though waking peacefully from its foggy covering.
BUT…that same pastoral setting is an entirely different view as you enter the valley at night. When the fog settles over it all, visibility is severely limited. It’s dark, and appears eerily quiet. Nocturnal creatures can quickly surprise you by darting onto the roadway. The car’s headlights barely penetrate the heavy mist.
At those times, I have to trust my memory of the turns of the road. I have to rely on the light available to help navigate through the dangers of the fog. The scariest part? I don’t KNOW what’s ahead. My faith is tested, because at that point, I must simply believe.
Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience (James 1:3 NKJV).
Driving quickly would not help me navigate better. Getting angry at the fog would not change its presence. To curse the darkness will not cause the sun to rise prematurely. I must be patient to make it through safely.
The drives through the night fog cause me to slow down. It’s a test of my driving skills, to be sure. But, impatience will cause me to fail. Miserably.
No! Instead, I must PAUSE in my hurried journey to “take this test.” It’s part of measuring my success as a mature driver.
How well can I navigate through dense fog and darkness? Am I willing to slow down (pause) to trust the process of maneuvering through factors that impair my distant vision?
As I thought on and prayed about this part of not doubting, it was revealed to me that we are indeed in a fog-covered valley at present. Darkness has descended for the time being.
We can’t control the fog, nor make it go away by hurrying through it. We can’t force the sun to rise, to make the fog dissipate, or to lessen the dangers around us.
Instead, we must PAUSE to allow God to prove (test) our spiritual maturity. What ‘skills’ have we learned in our walk with God that will help us navigate safely? What is this testing teaching us as we move forward in experience?
The same fog that causes distress at night will bring a peaceful, serene sense of Faith as the sun rises. The TEST of our Faith produces PATIENCE. {Other versions refer to it as “endurance,” “perseverance,” and “steadfastness.”}
My Trust (Faith) in the process of successful navigation produces patience (perseverance) to bring me safely through the fog. It SEEMS impossible to make it through. But, my Faith will make it Him-Possible!
Be encouraged today, my friends!
SUSAN HOHMAN
Most of us know that Faith is an important component of seeing a miracle performed. But, sometimes, God asks us to step back and wait — PAUSE — for a specific purpose, in order to see our miracle come to fruition. The Pause for the Him-Possible is an innovative approach to a 30-day devotional with a daily call to action. In this book, Susan Hohman gives us pause to consider an avenue of faith and believing that we may not have considered before.
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