In one of his books, Philip Yancey, tells the story of a friend who decided to go for an evening swim in a large lake. As the man paddled at a leisurely pace, about a hundred yards offshore a freak fog rolled in across the water. Suddenly the man could see nothing: no horizon, no landmarks, no objects or lights on the shore. Yancey explained the man’s predicament:
“For thirty minutes he splashed around in panic. He would start off in one direction, lose confidence and turn a different way. It made no difference which direction he swam. He could feel his heart racing uncontrollably. He would stop and float, trying to conserve energy and force himself to breathe slower. Then he would blindly strike out again.”[1]
Since March 2020 I have felt like this man at times. A thick, disorienting fog blew in with the COVID-19 crisis and the situation only became more confusing as the media spinsters muddied the water. Add to that the riots, the lockdowns, the election chicanery, and just recently the break-in at the Capitol. Not to forget, along the way were the never-ending stream of conspiracy theories and videos of YouTube prophets predicting what would happen next.
The result of this fog has been utter confusion and moments of mental paralysis. I was talking about the crazy Twilight Zone we’ve been living in with a friend and I think he summed up the struggle so many are having when he said, “I just don’t know what to believe anymore.”
One night as I tried to peer through the mist, the Lord brought to my mind a verse from Jesus’ Olivet Discourse. “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet” (Matt. 24:6). In context, Jesus was preaching about His Second Coming and the signs that would signal the season of the last days. I focused on the word “rumor” in that verse. My, my, hasn’t the past year been a banner one for the rumor mill. I cannot remember a time when I’ve heard more conjecture, fake news and headline hysteria.
In that same passage, Jesus warned three times about the danger of deception, saying “See that no one leads you astray” (24:4, 11, 24). Easier said than done – especially when a growing number of people have little confidence that the main-stream media reports facts objectively. A recent nationwide poll showed that 60% of Americans distrust the major media outlets.[2]
Friends, if you feel like you are doggy-paddling through a fog of deception, not knowing what to believe, it’s because this end-times “birth pang” has been ratcheted up to eleven. Search the New Testament and you’ll discover that one of the clear signs of the last days is deception on a global scale (1 John 4:3; 2 Thess. 2:10-11; 1 Tim. 4:1). As I understand Bible prophecy, the deception will only get worse as the world hurdles faster and faster towards the Tribulation.
So, whatever happened to the swimmer in the lake? Here’s what Yancey said, “At last he heard a faint voice calling from the shore. He pointed his body towards the familiar sounds and followed them to safety.” That’s what we need to do. In the fog, there is a still small voice. It’s the Spirit of God calling us to the safety and certainty of the Word of God. As always, the way through the confusion is making sure you are hearing from God, not the maddening noise of the world. Bible study, prayer, and faithful preaching will help guide you through these uncertain times. One thing the fog has done for me – I have been looking and listening more intently, especially for heaven’s trumpet blast that will call us home (1 Thess. 4:16-17).
-DM
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