Today’s devotional is about the different clouds that come into our lives. I hope you will be blessed!
2MefromHim Devotional
Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of him who has perfect knowledge?
Job 37:16
Thin gray clouds hovered just below the peaks of the mountains, making me wonder if a forest fire was in progress. One sniff of the air convinced me it was that rare phenomena in the Southwest, moisture.
Clouds floating past the large picture windows of my mountain home always grab my attention. At almost 7400 feet in altitude, I see a lot of them. At times they start out dark gray and full of moisture which never materializes. Sometimes, they are big and fluffy, but the promised rain still fails to materialize. Beautiful, yet disappointing.
My father-in-law was a great appreciator of clouds, finding shapes in them which he would point out to anyone willing to listen. Living in The Netherlands for half of his life, part of it during the Nazi occupation of WWII, he had seen plenty of clouds, both literally and figuratively. Perhaps the blue skies of the Southwest made him appreciate clouds more because they are not always the harbingers of storms.
When we moved to the mountains we thought the sun would set quickly, causing us to miss the brilliant colors of the evening sky. Wrong! The altitude seems to allow for more interesting cloud formations, streaked with amazing colors every day. My favorite was the pink thunderstorm one summer evening, far across the valley, catching the last rays of the setting sun.
Life is full of clouds, a sudden job change, unexpected illness, a broken relationship, or an untimely death. We can’t choose the kind of clouds that enter our lives. Sometimes clouds bring frightening storms we can’t escape and we cry out for help. Clouds can forewarn of storms, but their absence may not always portend a perfect day. They affect our mood and sometimes change our plans.
One thing is certain, clouds will come. The only thing more certain than clouds is the love and care of my heavenly Father. He promises to stand by my side through the storms, just as He rejoices with me in the good times.
Developing the habit of appreciating clouds makes me more open to the working of God in my life, and less fearful of the storms. Looking for God in the clouds and storms of life enables me to trust Him for the sunshine to come. Clouds may hide the sky, but God is always there.
© Norma Gail Thurston Holtman, February 26, 2015
About the author:
Norma Gail’s contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, released in 2014. She is a Bible study leader, and writes devotionals for ChristianDevotions.us, StitchesthruTime blog, and “The Secret Place.” She belongs to American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, and the New Mexico Christian Novelists. She is married and has two adult children.
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Book Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Land-My-Dreams-Norma-Gail/dp/1941103170/ or
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/land-of-my-dreams-norma-gail/1119606864 ?ean=9781941103173
Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas Bookstore: http://store.lpcbooks.com/product/land-of-my-dreams/
Norma, I absolutely love clouds. I can only imagine how beautiful they must be at 7400 feet – my goodness! Thank you for the thought-provoking post.
Thank you, Nan! Yes, this is a photo taken from our back patio the first summer we lived in the mountains. God does amazing things, with clouds as well as in our lives, and we rarely see what He is working on.
Very much enjoyed this devotion Norma. “The only thing more certain than clouds is the love and care of my heavenly Father. He promises to stand by my side through the storms, just as He rejoices with me in the good times.” He loves us so much. I just can’t imagine my life without Him. I pray this week you will feel His love so strongly and thoroughly along with His peace that passes no understanding. Love you Lady!
Thank you, Marcie! God is so faithful!