Find God in the Clouds of Your Life
Remember as a child, taking a moment from play to observe
the cottony clouds and imagine different characters?
When was the last time you stopped to watch the clouds on a beautiful sunny
day?
Watching the clouds is something that I still love to do, and
I take numerous photos. Whether it’s sunny or a storm is rolling in, this wonder
of nature always fascinates me.
While I may not always look for characters in the clouds
anymore, there is someone that I do see: God.
In the Old Testament, the imagery of clouds is used to
indicate the presence of God. The first occurrence is God’s promise to Noah
after the flood. “I am putting my bow in the clouds. It will be the sign of my
covenant with the world.” (Genesis 9:13). That tangible promise is still in
place today and a symbol of God’s constant love and faithfulness. (Psalm 108:4)
Later in the book of Genesis, the entire nation of Israel
experiences the presence of God during their escape from slavery in Egypt. “During
the day the Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud to show them the
way.” (Exodus 13:21a) The bright, luminescent cloud (1) reflected the glory of
God, never leaving its place in front of the Israelites as they traveled farther
away from Egypt.
After the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea, the Israelites
camped at Mt Sinai. While Moses was on the mountain to meet with God and
receive the ten commandments, the people saw God’s glory as a cloud covering
the mountain for 40 days. (2)
The finished temple in Jerusalem during King Solomon’s time
received the Lord’s presence when it was filled with a cloud. (3)
Many often associate the clouds with what is currently
happening in their life. Sunny days with puffy white clouds relate to not
having a care in the world. In contrast, grey, cloudy days convey depression and
life’s troubles weighing them down.
It is the same way we often see God. It is easy to feel that God
is with us when it is a beautiful, sunny day. Yet when the clouds bring rain or
menacing darkness, we no longer sense that God is there when we need Him.
Oswald Chambers, in his classic book, “Utmost for His Highest,” reflects
that “it is by those very clouds
that the Spirit of God is teaching us how to walk by faith. If there were no
clouds, we should have no faith … the clouds are a sign that He is there. His
purpose in the cloud is to simplify our belief until our relationship to Him is
exactly that of a child.” A child-like faith.
I have experienced many cloudy
skies in my own life, and I am sure I will have more. Instead of becoming
downhearted, I can see those same clouds as a sign that God is always there. It may be
a time when He needs to teach me something to bring me closer to Him. No matter
how dark the clouds may seem, God has promised that He will never leave us or abandon
us. (4) King David knew this to be true when he wrote: “Where could I go to escape from You? Where
could I get away from Your presence?” (Psalm 139:7)
God made a promise to Noah with a
rainbow in the clouds. As believers, there is another promise we can look
forward to – when we again see Jesus in the clouds. (5)
Next time you are outdoors, I hope that you will look at the clouds differently. Whether rain or shine, may you see those clouds as God’s presence with you.
Want further study? Here are more references of God’s presence in
the clouds:
Exodus 14:20 – It came between the Egyptians and Israelites
Exodus 33:9-11; 40:34 – At the “tent of
meeting”
Numbers 9:22 – Let Israel know when to set out and when to camp
Matthew 17:5 – to Peter, James and John at Jesus’ transfiguration
Acts 1:9 – Jesus ascends to heaven in the clouds, and
Revelation 1:7 – will return in the clouds
References:
All Scripture from the Good News Translation
(2) Exodus 24:15
(3) I Kings 8:10
What an uplifting post! It's a perfect message for these complicated days we are living through! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteActually I often enjoy looking at the clouds. It's very inspiring.
ReplyDeleteNow what happens if the sky is too foggy to see anything?
I often look at the clouds and ponder the awesomeness of God
ReplyDelete