I often write about the view from the deck in the back
of our house. I love to see it on a clear night when all of the stars
can be
clearly seen, and constellations identified. That just can’t
be done in the
city. I also love to see it as the dusk falls over the eastern sky, and
the sun
sets on the other side of the house. But, probably my favorite time to
gaze
into the eastern sky is during the dawning of the day. On a clear
night, I can
see that star I am always talking about. This morning, however, a
particular
thought struck me.
I opened the door and stepped out on the deck. The view
over those South Alabama
rolling hills to the
east of our home was absolutely breathtaking. I have often written and
spoken
publicly about the awe-inspiring beauty that is as if God has taken His
finger
and painted the brightest of colors on the eastern sky. The deep
purples and
the radiant reds are splashed magnificently against the blues of the
sky that
grow from the darkest of blues to the bright blue of the daytime sky. I
will
never get tired of seeing this marvelous example of the heavens
declaring the
glory of God, and the firmament showing his handiwork.
But, as I enjoyed the ethereal pleasure of the moment
this morning, a thought struck me. While the beauty of the sky on a
clear
morning is still marvelous, the grandeur of the scene is made so much
more
powerful with the presence of some clouds. God takes the clouds and
uses them
as a prism by which to draw out the marvelous colors with all of their
unbelievable shades. Without the clouds, the sky would not be nearly as
beautiful. The clouds allow the sun to truly show its glory.
I could not help but think that I wonder if that same
thing is not true in our lives. We desire the clear skies of life, and
we dread
the “clouds” of problems and difficulties that may
come our way. I cannot help
but wonder, however, if the clouds of our lives are not there so that
the Son
can truly show His glory. The clouds of life allow us to in fact come
into the
presence of God, and recognize that we need Him. The clouds of life
will cause
the glory and wonder of the Father and the Son to reflect and shine
brightly in
our lives. If God can use the clouds of the sky to display His glory,
it is
certain He can use the difficulties in our lives to display His love,
glory and
power.
When you get the opportunity to rise early and view the
sky of the dawn hour, if there happens to be some clouds on the
horizon, thank
God for the clouds. When you face the difficulties of life, the little
“clouds”
that will often occupy the sky of life, thank God that He is allowing
us to see
His beauty and love through the clouds.
The clouds allow the sun to truly show its glory; the
clouds of life allow the Son to truly show His glory in our lives. Just
a
thought about the clouds.
Clouds