As a child I used to climb the White Mountains of New Hampshire with my father and brothers. We always tried to choose a perfect day—what we called a “real mountain day.” Nothing dampened my spirits more than finding ourselves, halfway up the trail, enclosed in clouds and mist. It seemed to ruin the day. But of course we kept climbing, and usually broke out into the sunshine as we neared the summit.
It would be nice to think that the Christian’s ascent to glory would always be on the “real mountain days,” and never require going through any clouds. But such is not the way appointed. Mists rise, clouds lower, and we can’t see a thing. The trail is obscured, the summit is gone, the valley we’ve come from might as well not exist. Reality disappears. The only reality left is mere vapor.
But here’s a wonderful fact to latch on to: “Clouds and mist enfold him” (Ps. 97:2). The Lord, the King of the mountains, is in the midst of us. Things invisible in the natural realm are visible to the eye of faith. Don’t be misled or discouraged by mere vapor. Keep climbing. You’ll see the Son when you reach the top.
**Excerpt originally published in Guided by God’s Promises, pp. 144-145