When The Fog Sets In by Joel Osteen

I have a good friend named Jeff. We grew up together and were roommates in college. Today, he pastors a church in Huntsville, Texas. Jeff has always loved to fish. One day when we were in high school, he went down to Texas City to go fishing in the Gulf. He had done this many times before. He had even bought a small boat that he used. On this particular day, he and his friend, Brent, decided to try somewhere different to fish. At the dock there in Texas City, they asked the man in charge how to get back to the dock if they decided to fish at the Bolivar gas wells. The man said, "It's no problem. We're directly north. If you're anywhere around those gas wells, just head back due north, and you'll get right back to this dock." And so Jeff and Brent traveled an hour or so in their little boat and got there and started fishing away. The fish were biting left and right. In the midst of all the excitement of catching fish, a thick fog was setting in to where they could barely see 20 feet in front of them. It happened so quickly that it caught them off guard. The sun had already set, and it was about to get dark very quickly.

Jeff became alarmed and said, "Brent, pull up the anchor. We've got to get out of here." Jeff stood up in the boat and looked around to try to get his sense of direction. Of course, all he could see was fog. He thought about it. He studied it. He analyzed it. Everything in his logic said, "You need to go this way." He asked Brent what he thought they should do. Brent's father is a big fisherman. Brent looked around and analyzed it all. And he said, "No, Jeff. It's not that way. I'm positive it's this way." It was just the opposite of what Jeff thought. Now, of course, Jeff was very confused. So, he got his compass out and due north, like the man at the dock told him, was not the way he or Brent thought, but another way, a totally different direction. Jeff cranked up the motor, and in spite of what he or his friend thought, he started heading due north, the way the man at the dock told him. Jeff later told me, "Everything within me was telling me 'You're going the wrong direction.' My thoughts, my reasoning, my logic, my friend, my emotions; everything was saying, 'You're making a mistake. You'd better turn around.'" But Jeff just kept hearing the man at the dock say, "If you'll go due north, you'll get back to this place." Because of the fog, they had to travel very slowly, only 10 miles an hour. They could not see anything. They trekked along 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, an hour, an hour and 15 minutes. And the voice started coming to Jeff saying, "If you were going right, you would have already been there by now."

Jeff began to get worried, especially since his fuel was getting low. On top of that, to make matters worse, Brent began to panic. He started hollering and screaming at Jeff. "Turn around, man, you're taking me out to sea on six gallons of gas! This is dangerous!" All the while, there was an incredible battle taking place in Jeff's mind: Do I believe what the man at the dock told me is true? Or do I go by what I feel, what I think, and what my friend is telling me? In spite of all those contradicting and confusing voices, Jeff just kept traveling due north 15 more minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, another hour. And just as he was about to give up and go a different direction, he began to faintly see the Texas City dock come into view. He had made it back safely.

Sometimes in life, the fog sets in. We don't know which direction to go. You know God has put the promise in your heart. But every voice is saying it's not going to happen. It's been too long. It's impossible. How many times in life, like Jeff, as we're standing on God's promises and we hear that same voice-If you were going the right way, you would have already been there by now? If you were going to get well, you'd already feel better by now. If you were going to get married, you would have already met somebody by now. If you were going to get promoted, it would have already happened by now. There will always be voices trying to convince us that it's too late, it's been too long, you're too old, or you're going the wrong direction.

But the scripture says in Romans 3:4, "Let God be true and every man a liar." That means what God said to you, the promises in His Word, will override what other people say. It'll override what your own mind is telling you. It will even override what the circumstances look like. God always has the final say. And in the foggy seasons of life, if you will trust God's promises, they will bring you safely back home every time. It may not look like it. Your logic may tell you, "No way. Why do I even believe that this will happen?" You may not feel like it. Your emotions may tell you, "Get depressed. Get discouraged." Other voices may say, "Not a chance. Impossible." That's when you have to dig your heels in and say, "God, I'm going to believe what You say in spite of how I feel, in spite of what my logic is telling me, in spite of how long it's been. God, I'm just going to keep acting like what You said is true. I'm going to keep believing that You're in control, knowing that You're a faithful God, and You will never fail me or let me down."

As you trust God's voice, His Word and His promises, you can be sure that God will always lead and guide you where you need to be. He will always lead you along His best path. All you have to do is follow His leading and guiding. And as you do, then in due season, you will see your shore begin to come into sight. God will get you where He wants you to be.