BEWARE THE FOG OF WORDS –

As David moved from camp to camp and cave to cave he began depending on locals and others who showed support for his cause. In so doing he let his guard down on occasions. While hiding in the hills of Hakilah among the Ziphites, whom he thought were his friends, little did he know that they had sent a messenger to King Saul to reveal his location. No wonder he was shocked and alarmed when 3000 troops sent by King Saul suddenly arrived to capture him. This betrayal left him hurt and somewhat bitter. But he knew it wasn’t his God who betrayed him, and his heavenly Father would never let him down. It certainly shook his trust in others, but it only strengthened his trust in the One who called and anointed him.

“Do politicians really mean what they say? Are judges truly without bias? No! Some knowingly consent to injustice, thereby promoting lawlessness throughout the land. Such evil-minded people are born that way; they are dishonest from the day they came out of the womb. Their words are like the venom of a poisonous snake; they act like vipers that pretend as though they don’t hear the sound of the snake-charmer’s flute no matter how skilled he may be in casting a spell. O One True God, take away their ability to hurt people with their words; O LORD Eternal, render them as harmless as a young toothless lion; let their influence be like water that quickly evaporates; and when they aim their sharp words of criticism, let those words become unintelligible. And may any effect they’ve had dissipate like the trail of a snail, and be dead on arrival like a fetus in miscarriage that never sees the light of day. Pull them out by the roots before they have a chance to grow any bigger so they can be blown away like a bramble bush by a whirlwind. Then those who live right will smile when such people get what’s coming to them, by putting them in their place. This will cause everyone to say, ‘It does pay to live right! There is such a thing as divine justice after all!’” Psalm 58:1-11

Reflection: On a foggy Friday morning, July 4, 1952, a young woman named Florence Chadwick waded into the cold waters off Catalina Island intending to swim the channel to the California coast. Earlier she became the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. Now the water was numbing and the fog so thick she could barely see the boats that accompanied her. She swam for more than 15 hours before finally asking to be taken out of the water. Her trainer tried to encourage her to keep going since they were getting close to land. But all Florence saw was the fog, and the water seemed to get colder and colder. After she got into the boat, she found out that she was only one more mile to go before she reached the shore. Too often many believers follow Florence’s example and give up on God’s destiny for their lives. Not because they are afraid, but because of the fog caused by peer pressure and the cold water of discouragement tire them out. When they don’t see any end to the discomfort these things cause, and with the uncertainty of success they let themselves begin to believe it’s impossible. David found himself in such a predicament, but refused to give up and allow his confusion to take control. He trusted the fact that God sent him out with a goal in mind and promised to go with him until he reached the finish line. The choice is ours, either believe God’s promise and be encouraged by His presence, or let our environment dictate our choices.