What do you think of when you look at clouds? I would imagine that every one of us would have a different answer to that question. After all, there are no two clouds alike, anywhere in the world. There is nothing tangible to reach out and grasp. . . nothing permanent in their movements . . . and yet, everywhere on earth they exist. We can see them, so we know that they truly exist, and can experience the tangible rains they hold. Yet there is nothing that can contain, manage, nor control them.
Clouds exist everywhere in the world. And the human perspectives of clouds can change countless times each day, never to be repeated exactly anywhere else.
The Bible has many stories that involve clouds, and they are often mentioned in connection with God Himself. I wonder if there is any human throughout Time that did not wonder . . . wish . . . imagine . . . and perhaps fear being in His Presence.
The Apostle John saw and wrote about his experience of “seeing” Him. And he wrote about what he saw. “He comes with clouds,” was very clear to him near the very beginning of John’s writings of his experience.
I have pondered John’s words, and I think of it two different ways. I’m sure there are countless ways to think of what John described. That’s part of God’s Word being “living and active” . . . no one can ever “nail it” because of that living, active reality that God’s Word contains.
But I’ll share the three top thoughts that have been floating around in my mind and heart as I have meditated on this in the past several months.
“Behold !. . . He comes with clouds. . “
#l. Literally, I love to look up into the sky on a day that has clouds, and try to take note of their shapes, “fluffiness”, whispyness (is that a word?), how they’re moving, what shapes my mind can “see” as they hang or float in the bue sky, what direction they are moving. Do they look like rain clouds? Are they dark? Threatening some harsh storm?
When I’m in a plane and we fly through a cloud, then break through to blue sky, there’s a lot more emotion tied to the view. . . nervousness, curiosity, physical bumps that jar me to pray . . . lovely surprises as the clouds part and reveal a whole different world than the place where I live. Clouds draw me to “look” . . . enjoy, imagine, wonder, what it will be like when we see Him coming in the clouds.
As I have shared my life with God, a decision I made when I was 3 years old, I have carried a clear sense of His real-ness, His awareness of me…all the good and bad in my heart and mind, yet with a certainty that He was near me through it all. Many seasons in my life I would sense that I was under a “cloud”, as turbulent times, sadness,
pain, loss, betrayal, and grief flowed through my “sky” as well as the seasons of joy, wonder, love, sweetness and a front-row seat of watching Him work, when the clouds had parted and His Warmth and Light helped to brighten my heart and life.
God’s Clouds give us a glimpse of Who He is . . . bringing Light, Life-giving Water, Shelter from the scorching heat of life. Clouds bring beauty that draws our eyes UP . . . to Him . . . not able to hold Him in our hands, but we can see Him moving, drink in the pure Water of Life that flows from Him, and simply stand in His Presence as He pours down showers of blessing from His endless Source of Life.
The next time you see clouds, take a moment to consider Revelation 1:7. He comes with clouds . . . never in exactly the same form . . . but wrapped in that beautiful reminder of Him as our eyes are drawn upward.
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