Cloudy Days
From my window today, I see high fluffy clouds slowly moving through the blue sky. These are the kind of clouds wherein your imagination can spot all kinds of things like bunnies, cartoon characters, and random objects. These clouds are what Texans pray for during the heat of the summer, and what northerners would gladly have in exchange for the thick blanket that blocks out the sun for weeks on end. There are different kinds of clouds. Some bring gloom, rain, and thunder, while others bring shade and relief.
Throughout the Bible, the writers use clouds to describe weather phenomena and also to refer to manifestations of God’s presence. The Pillar of Cloud that led the Israelites through the Sinai wilderness was God Himself (Ex. 13:21). The cloud that covered the atoning cover of the Ark of the Testimony, the cloud that surrounded Sinai, that filled Solomon’s temple, and that is a covering over the redeemed Israel are all examples of a cloud that were not natural, but supernatural (Lev. 16:2, Deut. 4:11, 1Kings 8:10, Is. 4:5) In the prophet Nahum’s warning to Ninevah, he says, “The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of His feet” (Nah. 1:3 NIV). These words describe clouds as the product resulting from God in action. When God moves in “His way,” He stirs things up.
Also in the Bible, some clouds are just clouds. For example, when Elijah prayed for God to send rain that would end a long drought in Israel, a small cloud rose up from the sea. Elijah knew that even a cloud “as small as a man’s hand” was able to produce a drenching downpour if God had purposed it (1Kings 18:44). Indeed, that small cloud was soon joined by others and poured down water on the drought-stricken land. Elijah urged the king to get going, and he himself ran under the power of the Spirit of God to make it to safety.
Though it may be a simple statement, it struck me this week that not all clouds are the same. Clouds are often not what they seem. The same cloud at Mt. Sinai that made the Israelites tremble and shirk contained the presence of God. Moses went right up into the cloud and spoke with God face to face, friend to friend. Likewise, the same clouds that bring storms of rain, thunder, even lightning, and hail, also water our earth and sustain life. If God sends the rain cloud, the cloud blesses us with refreshing, sustaining water that satisfies thirst, supports life, and promotes growth.
Clouds that appear in our lives work like clouds in the Bible. Clouds can be just clouds sometimes, but they can also be opportunities to experience God’s presence as well as instruments of His blessing. Clouds can even be the tangible evidence that God is at work, that He is moving on our behalf and accomplishing His promises and purposes that line up with His word.
Although some clouds are dark, dense, and heavy, it is a mistake to think that God is not in those dark places. God is ever present, even in the darkest, ugliest, most wretched parts of our lives. He is not unable nor unwilling to be present and remain faithfully with us in the darkness. In fact, He does great work even in the middle of our darkest days. Throughout every dark moment, when clouds fill our skies, when we cannot see the sun, and are positively parched, God is always working to save, deliver, and redeem us.
My prayer for us today is that the Lord invades every dark area of our lives. Even if clouds have rolled in and they show no signs of moving on, I pray that we all maintain an awareness of the presence of the Holy Spirit abiding with us. No matter the situation, I pray that you can see God and be thankful for his presence, His activity, and His blessings that come amidst the clouds.