Cloudy with a Chance of Blessing
By
Elin Henderson
“…and His strength is in the
clouds.”
Living
just kilometers from the Indian Ocean, we certainly get a front seat to the sea’s
ability to churn out some serious clouds. Often we see huge billowing clouds
form up in an instant and soar inland with their rain and shade! There is a time
that the local people call “khuusi” in which the sea becomes a virtual factory
and spews out clouds all day long! We generally are quite happy with this
respite from the hot African sun and the well-welcomed rain that the assembly
belt of clouds provides, although when you rely on solar power for electricity,
sometimes you wish they would clear out a little quicker!
I was
struck recently by the number of times clouds are mentioned in Scripture. Probably
the most notable mention is the pillar of cloud God inhabited in the Old
Testament that went out with the people of Israel when they left Egypt and went
into the Wilderness. It was their guide, showing them the way and even
became their source of light at night. At one point, the cloud moved
behind them and became a barrier of protection against Pharaoh and his
army.
In 2
Samuel, a cloud the size of a man’s hand, seen far off on the distance brought
the provision of rain and the reminder that God keeps His promises! In
the Wilderness Tabernacle and in the Temple of God in Jerusalem, a cloud was a reminder
and evidence of God’s presence and glory. On the Mount of Transfiguration, a
cloud enveloped the brief meeting of Jesus and Elijah and Moses. That cloud,
and the Father’s voice from within it, became a very real revelation of both
God’s glory and the divinity of Christ to Peter, James and John, who
witnessed it.
I
don’t know about you, but I could use a few of these kinds of clouds/blessings
around; some guidance in this wilderness of life, some light in
the dark places, some protection against the dark forces that threaten
to overwhelm us, some provision after a dry time in our lives, a reminder
of His daily presence with us and a revelation God’s glory and that He
will have the final say and the final reign!
Forecast
for today….”Cloudy with a chance of blessing.” Get ready for His clouds to
start pouring off the divine assembly line, bringing refreshment and blessing
on your life today!
GOING DEEPER:
1.
No physical clouds showing up on
your side of the world to remind you of His blessings?? Sketch a quick cloud
and post it in a place where you will see it.
2.
Write in it the particular blessing reminder
you need for the challenges of that day!
FURTHER READING:
Oakwood’s missionaries, Elin Henderson (a registered nurse) and
her husband Phil serve as church planters with New Tribes Mission in
Mozambique, Africa. Elin is mother to sixteen-year-old Callie and
thirteen-year-old Elias.
