Bright Clouds

Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.

Zechariah 10:1

I received a letter from a nineteen-year-old girl on the West Coast, whose fiancé had just broken off their engagement. Her heart was completely crushed, and life seemed no longer worth living. I wrote telling her that it is not always easy to trace God’s designs in our ill-planned hopes and dreams. But rest assured that if we are called according to His purpose, and if we love God, all things do work together for good. Who are we to dictate which way the winds will blow, or how God will maneuver our ship through life’s storms? The Psalmist said, “He . . . guided them by the skillfulness of his hands” (Psalm 78:72).

Yes, clouds will come. They are part of life. But by God’s grace we need not be depressed by their presence. Just as clouds can protect us from the brightness of the sun, life’s clouds can reveal the glory of God, and from their lofty height God speaks to us. Like the children of Israel, we are travelers to the Promised Land. As they traveled through the wilderness, the Bible says, “The LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way” (Exodus 13:21).

If your life is dismal, depressed, and gloomy today, Christ can turn those dark clouds inside out. Many may be discouraged because of sins they can’t overcome. Sin can hang over us like a cloud. Sin deforms us. It causes turmoil and fighting down inside. We all need to be free from the failure and sin that binds and chains us. When faced with the clouds of defeat, we need to open our hearts and let Him in. Let Him take the clouds of sin out and transform you into a new creature.

Our Father and our God, You are my light and my hope in the middle of this dismal world. Please free me from the failures and sins of my life. Take away the turmoil and struggle that go on within my heart and soul, even if You do not take away the turmoil and struggle themselves. Open my heart to You and Your Son. Amen.

Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).