“Where Did These Clouds Come From?”
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Romans 8:28-39
Introduction: Once a week I write a blog that I post on the internet. On my blog I write a short spiritual thought on some topic. In fact, I have a blog site; the internet address is: www.chrislogan.blogspot.com. One of the amazing aspects of the internet, and this blog, is that I have had hits from all over the world; literally. Romania, China, Spain, New Zealand, India, Mauritius (an island east of Africa), as well as most of the states in the United States.
I also have a way to track the hits I get on my blog through this stat counter service. On this stat counter it can tell me which blogs are receiving the most hits. So, I decided to take my top three visited blogs and expand them into sermons. This morning we will start with my blog “Where did these clouds come from?” Next week we will look at my blog “How busy is too busy?” And in two weeks we will interact with my blog “Give yourself to God.”
I believe that these blog/sermons will help us to be challenged, encouraged, and uplifted. I believe that they will move us to evaluate what is important, and how we can be committed and connected more to God. So let us get into today’s blog!
I. Experiencing Clouds- (Exodus 13:17-22)
a. My time in Pueblo West- When I lived in Pueblo West, Colorado, I
experienced clouds like I had never experienced in California. In Colorado, it could be clear at one moment, and then all of a sudden these clouds would come moving in, dark as could be, and start a rainstorm that would last for a while, and then go away. These clouds would come suddenly, without warning. I always wondered: "Where did these clouds come from?"
One of the reasons this was so odd for me, is that in California the clouds are more sparse. Really, they only come in fullness if there is going to be a rainstorm. Then the clouds gradually gather, pick up mass, get darker and darker, and then the rain starts to come. It isn’t a sudden occurrence, but rather a gradual one.
On top of this, the clouds in Colorado could be many different sizes and shapes. They could be big and puffy. They could be interspersed throughout the sky. They could be dark and foreboding. They could be of various shapes. It is a little difficult to explain, but they were very different in form and function than here in California. It was a great surprise for me to see how unique they really were, because I didn’t think much about clouds at all when I lived (and now again live) in California. It was only in my time in Colorado that I was really aware of the clouds, probably because of how sudden the rain could come.
As I talk about clouds it brings me back to the thought of how even when we were young we experienced clouds in a meaningful way. How many kids have lay down on the ground, looked up at the clouds, and tried to find shapes and figures in them? This is a typical game that kids play. The clouds are not experienced as the natural phenomenon that they are, but rather as a prop for a game.
Bible Illustration: In the Bible we see a story of how the clouds came suddenly upon the people. It is in the story of the Israelites, who were in slavery to the Egyptians. You know the story, but let me highlight it so that we can apply this aspect of experiencing clouds… The Israelites had been in slavery for many years, with seemingly no hope of escape. They were asked to perform hard labor day after day. Then along comes Moses, sent from God to rescue them. Through a series of miraculous events, culminating in the death of the Pharaoh’s son, the Pharaoh gives the Israelites permission to leave. But shortly after this, the Pharaoh changes his mind, not wanting to see his slave labor disappear. So the Pharaoh and his army pursue the Israelites. Of course this brings about great fear from the Israelites, believing that they will be killed by the Egyptian army. But God, not wanting the Israelites to doubt His presence, gives guidance to His people.
Let me read for you from Exodus 13:17-22, “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle. 19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.”20 After leaving Sukkoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. 21 By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” The cloud came suddenly upon them showing how the Lord was there to guide them, and this cloud was there each day, until night would fall, and then a pillar of fire would come. How wonderful the cloud was for the Israelites!
b. The nature of clouds- We see that clouds have a nature. The
nature of the cloud for the Israelites was not for rain, but for guidance. Rain clouds have a nature as well. They not only bring darkness, by blocking the sun and the sky, but they also bring rain. This is important, since rain is good and needed. However, while rain is good for the earth, it can at times dampen our spirit, and make it difficult to accomplish what we might have planned to do.
There are many, who live in areas where it rains much of the time, and they battle depression. The lack of sun and the limited ability to do outside activities affects their minds in a negative way, and keeps them from enjoying life. Now there is no real proof that rain and depression go hand-in-hand, but it is true that experiencing the darkness that the rain clouds bring can indeed dampen ones spirit. The key is to seek God to give you freedom from these “dark clouds” in your life.
Another freeing thought is being able to look at the clouds in a different way. If we reframe how we see the clouds, seeing them as a powerful metaphor of Jesus’ return, then their presence will not have a negative affect. For example, in the Bible it talks about how when Jesus returns, He will return on the clouds. Listen to Luke 21:27, “At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” Or as Psalm 18:9 tells us: “He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.” What a wonderful sight this will be. The sudden appearance of a cloud (even a dark cloud) will not bring gloom, but excitement that our Lord has returned to take us to heaven with Him!!
II. The Dark Clouds of Life- (Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 7:15, 24; 8:28; James 3:9)
a. The dark cloud of doubt- If you think about life, you realize that
we do have ‘dark clouds,’ and ‘rain clouds’ that enter into our lives. How often do the dark clouds suddenly appear in our lives? They come and darken our thinking for a time.
There is the dark cloud of doubt. When doubt comes into our minds, we do not see the hope of God; we do not see the promises of God. We do not see the wonderful outcomes that God has for us. What we see is the problem without a solution. What we see is our inability to solve the problem. What we see is that we are stuck in a situation that cannot be undone.
Illus of my doubt- Doubt usually comes when something doesn’t go right at first. I might start out believing I can do it, but if something starts to go wrong, then the doubt creeps in. As pastor of this church, there are many times this has happened. When we did ‘Return to Bethlehem’ a number of years ago, and I realized it would take about 50 people and a thousand dollars to pull it off; there was doubt. But we did it, and we did it well. Or when we started Alpha, and there was doubt whether or not people would come. But the people came. And on and on I could go. The doubt comes, and we don’t believe this plan God gives us can be lived out. We are told in Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” And also we read in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
b. There is also the dark cloud of anger- A second cloud that comes
into our lives is anger. Anger is a dark cloud because it takes us away from the person we are, and we become a person set on violence or harsh words. Anger clouds our minds because we do not concern ourselves with the person we are dealing with, or the situation at hand, but our focus is on our anger. Anger becomes the dominating factor. Anger often leads us to sin. That is why the Bible tells us, in several places, ‘don’t let your anger lead you to sin.’
Have you ever noticed how you are when you are angry? Do you notice the unkind words you say? Do you notice your lack of concern for that person you are angry with? Are you aware of how you aren’t focused on a solution, but rather on attacking that person you are angry with? Like rain coming out of a dark rain cloud, our angry words pour out of our mouth. As James 3:9 says: “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.”
c. Being unfocused- I could go on and on about the many different
forces that come into our minds and cloud our thinking…temptation, jealousy, greed, and on it goes. What happens when these forces come into our lives, is that they lead us to have the wrong priorities. Instead of seeking what God has designed for us, the plan God has for us, we are led to a different place; a place of unrest; a place where we will forever be unfulfilled.
We already struggle with sin as it is, and when we give ourselves over to these forces, we find ourselves lost in our sin. The apostle Paul talked about this struggle in Romans 7:15, where he says: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” There is Paul’s unfocussed mind seen in his not being able to understand why he is doing the sin he doesn’t want to do. And throughout Romans, chapter 7, Paul continues this discourse of frustration at his actions; at these dark clouds that are confusing his mind and leading him down the wrong path. He finally asks an important question in Romans 7:24, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?”
III. Dark Clouds can enlighten us- (Romans 7:25; Philippians 4:6-7; Ephesians 6:12; Psalm 73:1-3, 21-25)
Then he answers his own question in verse 25: “Thanks be to God, who
delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” What hope do we have? We have hope in the God who delivers us. God is seen time and time again in the Bible delivering His people. God is a God of power whom we can trust.
a. Why the clouds? But many have wondered, if God is a powerful
God, then why do these clouds come into our lives? Why doesn’t God just keep the clouds away? Going back to Romans 8:28, we see that this verse reminds us that God can and will work out all things for the good to those who trust Him.
So, the clouds help us to trust in God. Without the darkness of life, we would lose our trust in God. We do not really know that God is powerful until He works His power into our lives. We do not really believe that God is there for us until we see Him help us through a difficult situation. We cannot sense God’s presence until we experience God walking with us in a time of heartache and giving us the peace that surpasses all knowledge.
Trust is something that is earned. You do not just give your trust over to someone until you have seen in them that they are trustworthy. Maybe you give a little bit of trust, and you see that they are faithful, and then you trust a little more, and they continue to be faithful, and your trust increases more and more over time and experience. This is true of us and God as well. We give our trust over to God as we see God’s faithfulness at work in our lives. The clouds come, the struggle is upon us, we call out to God, God comes to help, and we overcome our trial. Our trust in God increases.
These dark clouds can also enlighten us. How often are we naïve at what this world might bring, and we walk around not understanding the forces that do exist in this world. Even though we are told in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” While there are real flesh and blood struggles, they originate in the heavenly realm. That is why we must fight this battle with God at our side, calling upon the light of Christ to shine through the dark clouds of Satan.
b. Breaking through the clouds- The truth is, we can worry about the
evil that exists in the world, we can worry about these clouds that suddenly come into our lives, OR, we can take the advice of Paul, and live by these words from Philippians 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and minds in Christ Jesus."
1. Prayer and petition- This baseball season we have had a
number of games rained out. We play every Saturday, and for while there it was raining every Friday! I would see the clouds come in, I would see that they were dark and foreboding, and I would start to worry that the game would be rained out. And sure enough three times this happened. And yet, the next day, when we didn’t play the game, we actually were able to have some family time, and the kids were able to do some homework, and we still enjoyed the day. When worry comes, Paul tells us we are to go to the Lord in prayer, and let God know what is worrying us. We are to give these concerns and worries over to God, and let God deal with them. We are to replace our worry with peace.
2. Thanksgiving- The other aspect that keeps us from letting
the dark clouds overwhelm us is THANKSGIVING. It has hard to keep our mind focused on being worried when we are thankful. Having a thankful mind means that we are dwelling on who God us, and on what God has done for us. Having a thankful mind helps us to remember the many times God has been there for us. Having a thankful mind leads us to that place where we understand who God is.
In Psalm 73, Asaph, who is the worship leader for King David’s court has too many worries. Asaph starts out with these words in Psalm 73:1-3, “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. 2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. 3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” Asaph wasn’t being thankful, he was worrying about how the arrogant were being prosperous; and in essence how he wasn’t!
He goes on this way for a while until he realizes what this dark cloud is doing to his mind, and he says in verses 21-22, “When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, 22 I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.” He realizes that instead of trusting God, lifting his requests to God, or being thankful in God, he is all caught up in those who are not following God. They are a dark cloud over him.
What sets him straight? Listen to verse 23-25, “Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.” Do you hear the thankfulness in his words? He is thankful that God is by his right hand, offering him counsel, and giving to him what he desires. This thankful heart pushes away the cloud of darkness.
Conclusion: And so it is good to regularly evaluate: What are the clouds in my life? Where did they come from? What is their purpose? Am I giving myself over to God, and not worrying, knowing that God will work out good through them? You see, where the clouds came from doesn't matter, as much as why the clouds are there, and how God brings fruit from the clouds. God can help us overcome our dark clouds, and even bring growth and trust in our lives because of them. So, be strong in the Lord, and the clouds become a blessing, not a deterrent. Amen.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Romans 8:28-39
Introduction: Once a week I write a blog that I post on the internet. On my blog I write a short spiritual thought on some topic. In fact, I have a blog site; the internet address is: www.chrislogan.blogspot.com. One of the amazing aspects of the internet, and this blog, is that I have had hits from all over the world; literally. Romania, China, Spain, New Zealand, India, Mauritius (an island east of Africa), as well as most of the states in the United States.
I also have a way to track the hits I get on my blog through this stat counter service. On this stat counter it can tell me which blogs are receiving the most hits. So, I decided to take my top three visited blogs and expand them into sermons. This morning we will start with my blog “Where did these clouds come from?” Next week we will look at my blog “How busy is too busy?” And in two weeks we will interact with my blog “Give yourself to God.”
I believe that these blog/sermons will help us to be challenged, encouraged, and uplifted. I believe that they will move us to evaluate what is important, and how we can be committed and connected more to God. So let us get into today’s blog!
I. Experiencing Clouds- (Exodus 13:17-22)
a. My time in Pueblo West- When I lived in Pueblo West, Colorado, I
experienced clouds like I had never experienced in California. In Colorado, it could be clear at one moment, and then all of a sudden these clouds would come moving in, dark as could be, and start a rainstorm that would last for a while, and then go away. These clouds would come suddenly, without warning. I always wondered: "Where did these clouds come from?"
One of the reasons this was so odd for me, is that in California the clouds are more sparse. Really, they only come in fullness if there is going to be a rainstorm. Then the clouds gradually gather, pick up mass, get darker and darker, and then the rain starts to come. It isn’t a sudden occurrence, but rather a gradual one.
On top of this, the clouds in Colorado could be many different sizes and shapes. They could be big and puffy. They could be interspersed throughout the sky. They could be dark and foreboding. They could be of various shapes. It is a little difficult to explain, but they were very different in form and function than here in California. It was a great surprise for me to see how unique they really were, because I didn’t think much about clouds at all when I lived (and now again live) in California. It was only in my time in Colorado that I was really aware of the clouds, probably because of how sudden the rain could come.
As I talk about clouds it brings me back to the thought of how even when we were young we experienced clouds in a meaningful way. How many kids have lay down on the ground, looked up at the clouds, and tried to find shapes and figures in them? This is a typical game that kids play. The clouds are not experienced as the natural phenomenon that they are, but rather as a prop for a game.
Bible Illustration: In the Bible we see a story of how the clouds came suddenly upon the people. It is in the story of the Israelites, who were in slavery to the Egyptians. You know the story, but let me highlight it so that we can apply this aspect of experiencing clouds… The Israelites had been in slavery for many years, with seemingly no hope of escape. They were asked to perform hard labor day after day. Then along comes Moses, sent from God to rescue them. Through a series of miraculous events, culminating in the death of the Pharaoh’s son, the Pharaoh gives the Israelites permission to leave. But shortly after this, the Pharaoh changes his mind, not wanting to see his slave labor disappear. So the Pharaoh and his army pursue the Israelites. Of course this brings about great fear from the Israelites, believing that they will be killed by the Egyptian army. But God, not wanting the Israelites to doubt His presence, gives guidance to His people.
Let me read for you from Exodus 13:17-22, “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle. 19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.”20 After leaving Sukkoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. 21 By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” The cloud came suddenly upon them showing how the Lord was there to guide them, and this cloud was there each day, until night would fall, and then a pillar of fire would come. How wonderful the cloud was for the Israelites!
b. The nature of clouds- We see that clouds have a nature. The
nature of the cloud for the Israelites was not for rain, but for guidance. Rain clouds have a nature as well. They not only bring darkness, by blocking the sun and the sky, but they also bring rain. This is important, since rain is good and needed. However, while rain is good for the earth, it can at times dampen our spirit, and make it difficult to accomplish what we might have planned to do.
There are many, who live in areas where it rains much of the time, and they battle depression. The lack of sun and the limited ability to do outside activities affects their minds in a negative way, and keeps them from enjoying life. Now there is no real proof that rain and depression go hand-in-hand, but it is true that experiencing the darkness that the rain clouds bring can indeed dampen ones spirit. The key is to seek God to give you freedom from these “dark clouds” in your life.
Another freeing thought is being able to look at the clouds in a different way. If we reframe how we see the clouds, seeing them as a powerful metaphor of Jesus’ return, then their presence will not have a negative affect. For example, in the Bible it talks about how when Jesus returns, He will return on the clouds. Listen to Luke 21:27, “At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” Or as Psalm 18:9 tells us: “He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.” What a wonderful sight this will be. The sudden appearance of a cloud (even a dark cloud) will not bring gloom, but excitement that our Lord has returned to take us to heaven with Him!!
II. The Dark Clouds of Life- (Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 7:15, 24; 8:28; James 3:9)
a. The dark cloud of doubt- If you think about life, you realize that
we do have ‘dark clouds,’ and ‘rain clouds’ that enter into our lives. How often do the dark clouds suddenly appear in our lives? They come and darken our thinking for a time.
There is the dark cloud of doubt. When doubt comes into our minds, we do not see the hope of God; we do not see the promises of God. We do not see the wonderful outcomes that God has for us. What we see is the problem without a solution. What we see is our inability to solve the problem. What we see is that we are stuck in a situation that cannot be undone.
Illus of my doubt- Doubt usually comes when something doesn’t go right at first. I might start out believing I can do it, but if something starts to go wrong, then the doubt creeps in. As pastor of this church, there are many times this has happened. When we did ‘Return to Bethlehem’ a number of years ago, and I realized it would take about 50 people and a thousand dollars to pull it off; there was doubt. But we did it, and we did it well. Or when we started Alpha, and there was doubt whether or not people would come. But the people came. And on and on I could go. The doubt comes, and we don’t believe this plan God gives us can be lived out. We are told in Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” And also we read in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
b. There is also the dark cloud of anger- A second cloud that comes
into our lives is anger. Anger is a dark cloud because it takes us away from the person we are, and we become a person set on violence or harsh words. Anger clouds our minds because we do not concern ourselves with the person we are dealing with, or the situation at hand, but our focus is on our anger. Anger becomes the dominating factor. Anger often leads us to sin. That is why the Bible tells us, in several places, ‘don’t let your anger lead you to sin.’
Have you ever noticed how you are when you are angry? Do you notice the unkind words you say? Do you notice your lack of concern for that person you are angry with? Are you aware of how you aren’t focused on a solution, but rather on attacking that person you are angry with? Like rain coming out of a dark rain cloud, our angry words pour out of our mouth. As James 3:9 says: “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.”
c. Being unfocused- I could go on and on about the many different
forces that come into our minds and cloud our thinking…temptation, jealousy, greed, and on it goes. What happens when these forces come into our lives, is that they lead us to have the wrong priorities. Instead of seeking what God has designed for us, the plan God has for us, we are led to a different place; a place of unrest; a place where we will forever be unfulfilled.
We already struggle with sin as it is, and when we give ourselves over to these forces, we find ourselves lost in our sin. The apostle Paul talked about this struggle in Romans 7:15, where he says: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” There is Paul’s unfocussed mind seen in his not being able to understand why he is doing the sin he doesn’t want to do. And throughout Romans, chapter 7, Paul continues this discourse of frustration at his actions; at these dark clouds that are confusing his mind and leading him down the wrong path. He finally asks an important question in Romans 7:24, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?”
III. Dark Clouds can enlighten us- (Romans 7:25; Philippians 4:6-7; Ephesians 6:12; Psalm 73:1-3, 21-25)
Then he answers his own question in verse 25: “Thanks be to God, who
delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” What hope do we have? We have hope in the God who delivers us. God is seen time and time again in the Bible delivering His people. God is a God of power whom we can trust.
a. Why the clouds? But many have wondered, if God is a powerful
God, then why do these clouds come into our lives? Why doesn’t God just keep the clouds away? Going back to Romans 8:28, we see that this verse reminds us that God can and will work out all things for the good to those who trust Him.
So, the clouds help us to trust in God. Without the darkness of life, we would lose our trust in God. We do not really know that God is powerful until He works His power into our lives. We do not really believe that God is there for us until we see Him help us through a difficult situation. We cannot sense God’s presence until we experience God walking with us in a time of heartache and giving us the peace that surpasses all knowledge.
Trust is something that is earned. You do not just give your trust over to someone until you have seen in them that they are trustworthy. Maybe you give a little bit of trust, and you see that they are faithful, and then you trust a little more, and they continue to be faithful, and your trust increases more and more over time and experience. This is true of us and God as well. We give our trust over to God as we see God’s faithfulness at work in our lives. The clouds come, the struggle is upon us, we call out to God, God comes to help, and we overcome our trial. Our trust in God increases.
These dark clouds can also enlighten us. How often are we naïve at what this world might bring, and we walk around not understanding the forces that do exist in this world. Even though we are told in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” While there are real flesh and blood struggles, they originate in the heavenly realm. That is why we must fight this battle with God at our side, calling upon the light of Christ to shine through the dark clouds of Satan.
b. Breaking through the clouds- The truth is, we can worry about the
evil that exists in the world, we can worry about these clouds that suddenly come into our lives, OR, we can take the advice of Paul, and live by these words from Philippians 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and minds in Christ Jesus."
1. Prayer and petition- This baseball season we have had a
number of games rained out. We play every Saturday, and for while there it was raining every Friday! I would see the clouds come in, I would see that they were dark and foreboding, and I would start to worry that the game would be rained out. And sure enough three times this happened. And yet, the next day, when we didn’t play the game, we actually were able to have some family time, and the kids were able to do some homework, and we still enjoyed the day. When worry comes, Paul tells us we are to go to the Lord in prayer, and let God know what is worrying us. We are to give these concerns and worries over to God, and let God deal with them. We are to replace our worry with peace.
2. Thanksgiving- The other aspect that keeps us from letting
the dark clouds overwhelm us is THANKSGIVING. It has hard to keep our mind focused on being worried when we are thankful. Having a thankful mind means that we are dwelling on who God us, and on what God has done for us. Having a thankful mind helps us to remember the many times God has been there for us. Having a thankful mind leads us to that place where we understand who God is.
In Psalm 73, Asaph, who is the worship leader for King David’s court has too many worries. Asaph starts out with these words in Psalm 73:1-3, “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. 2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. 3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” Asaph wasn’t being thankful, he was worrying about how the arrogant were being prosperous; and in essence how he wasn’t!
He goes on this way for a while until he realizes what this dark cloud is doing to his mind, and he says in verses 21-22, “When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, 22 I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.” He realizes that instead of trusting God, lifting his requests to God, or being thankful in God, he is all caught up in those who are not following God. They are a dark cloud over him.
What sets him straight? Listen to verse 23-25, “Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.” Do you hear the thankfulness in his words? He is thankful that God is by his right hand, offering him counsel, and giving to him what he desires. This thankful heart pushes away the cloud of darkness.
Conclusion: And so it is good to regularly evaluate: What are the clouds in my life? Where did they come from? What is their purpose? Am I giving myself over to God, and not worrying, knowing that God will work out good through them? You see, where the clouds came from doesn't matter, as much as why the clouds are there, and how God brings fruit from the clouds. God can help us overcome our dark clouds, and even bring growth and trust in our lives because of them. So, be strong in the Lord, and the clouds become a blessing, not a deterrent. Amen.
posted by Logan's Blog at 12:30 PM
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