“Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded.  “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me.   I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty.  Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?” (Ruth 1:20-21, NLT)

My wife and I drove through dense fog yesterday.  It was the worst fog I had witnessed in awhile.  We could only see the vehicles immediately in front of us.  Since our visibility was so limited, we had to proceed cautiously.

Problems function a lot like fog.  They limit our visibility.  Sometimes, they’re so overpowering that we don’t see when God drastically changes our circumstances.  That’s what happened to Naomi in the verses included with this post.  While positioned in her new, incredible season, she said, “Call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me” (Ruth 1: 20, NLT).  Her problems were so blinding that she couldn’t fully enjoy her new and improved season in Bethlehem.

Perhaps you’re like Naomi and wondering how to see beyond the fog of your issues.  Vehicles today come equipped with fog lights.  They’re strategically positioned lower to the ground than headlights, so they illuminate the road better in foggy conditions.  Funny, but the psalmist seems to suggest the same thing about the Word of God: “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105, NLT).  If your problems are hindering your view of God’s incredible favor just ahead, let this Word help you see beyond the fog: “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever” (2 Corinthians 4:17, NLT).  Your greater glory is just beyond this patch of fog you’re currently facing!