There is no one like my God. He rides across the heavens to help me, on the clouds of His majesty.
Deuteronomy 33:26
I love clouds. I love when they bring refreshing rain. I love them on sunny days when they appear like fluffy marshmallows in the sky. And I love when they turn beautiful colors of pink and orange at sunset.
But clouds aren't always welcome. Sometimes they bring too much rain and long, gloomy days. Sometimes they bring terrible storms that cause floods and great destruction. Sometimes they block the stars and the moon when I'd like to see a celestial event--I'm a bit of an astronomy nerd.
In the Bible, clouds are often used to remind us of God's presence. When Noah and his family emerged from the ark to a whole new world of shifted lands and climate change, God knew the rain and clouds might be a reminder of the terrible flood, so He made them a promise:
"I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth...Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life." (Gen. 9:13,15)
Many years later when Moses was blessing Israel, he said:
“There is no one like the God of Jeshurun (Israel), who rides across the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." (Deut. 33:26-27)
David wrote a song that says:
Sing to God,
sing in praise of his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds.
(Ps. 68:4)
And in the Book of Revelation, John proclaimed:
“Look, he is coming with the clouds." (Rev. 1:7)
When God paints the clouds with a beautiful sunrise or sunset, I believe He's reminding us of His constant presence in a beautiful, eye-catching way we can't miss. From morning until night and throughout the darkness, He is with us--always.
But when clouds come into our lives, they can make God's presence and truth seem--well, cloudy! And it can be discouraging, disheartening, and difficult to believe He's still with us. But He is! Clouds of gloom can become clouds of majesty.
When I was young, I went through a difficult time of being bullied. I didn't want to go to school, but my mom shared a verse in the Bible that says:
"Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid;
do not be discouraged,
for the LORD your God will
be with you wherever you go.”
(Joshua 1:9)
I asked God to help me not be afraid, and I trusted Him to take care of me, and He did. It was still hard at times, but He showed me His presence in many ways, and He was faithful to lead me into new friendships and activities I may not have chosen otherwise. I've been through a lot of trials since then, but I've always found God to be faithful to me.
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| I think this one looks like a heart 💙 |
I want to encourage you to trust God with whatever you're going through. Ask for His help. Ask Him to show you He is with you. If you did something wrong and need to confess your sin, confess it and believe in His forgiveness. And if you did nothing wrong but life is hard anyway, look for better days to come. Look for the rainbows. Look for God to paint your clouds, and He will, because He is always there.
Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 100:3-5
Deut. 33:26: personal paraphrase mine
