For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. 2 Chronicles16:9a, NIV

 

A father from Somerset West, along with his 17-year-old son and two friends aged 14, recently endured a harrowing ordeal, clinging to their capsized boat in frigid waters for seven hours. The accident occurred early in the morning between Vermont and Hawston, under a heavy veil of fog that left them disoriented.

 

As the clock struck 12:40, the fog finally lifted, revealing the four stranded men merely 100 metres from shore to the eyes of beachgoers. The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) was swiftly alerted and launched a rescue operation. All four were treated for hypothermia; the father and son, who sustained injuries during the capsizing, were hospitalised.

 

Imagine their relief and surprise upon discovering how close to safety they had been all along. If only they had known, they might have attempted to swim to shore earlier.

 

We too can find ourselves in similar predicaments, engulfed in life’s metaphorical fog, desperately holding onto our life rafts. It’s during these moments that we need to remember that God is omniscient – he knows every solution before we even face the problem.

 

Psalm 46:1-3 reassures us, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” Similarly, 2 Chronicles 16:9 tells us, “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”

 

There is no challenge too daunting for God. He watches over us in the “fog” and he knows the way home. Let us trust in him wholeheartedly.

 

Prayer: Father God, thank you for being a steadfast source of faith and trust during my challenging times. Please guide me and bolster my faith. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.