Clouds (Joe Widick)

Good evening! Lord willing, I am now in Vietnam! Tonight's entry is again from my former colleague/boss/elder/friend/brother in Christ, Joe Widick of Lebanon, Tennessee. Joe often fills in for me while I am out of the country! Keep me in your prayers!

I still get excited each time I fly!  It is with eager anticipation that I board a plan to head off on a “new adventure.”  Ninety-nine percent of my flying is to Honduras.  I am never disappointed with the trip, and I always bring back with me new memories to keep for a life-time.  This year Elaine and I boarded the plane in Nashville.  It was extremely cloudy and the earliness of the flight made it even more ominous.  As the plane’s engines roared to life, off we went down the runway and up into the gray clouds.  There was nothing to see, no landmarks to try and recognize, we were engulfed in clouds.  It only took a few moments and the plane broke through the clouds and into the bright sunny morning.  Below us were the clouds that we had flown through.  This side of the clouds was not gray and ominous but rather white and fluffy looking.  As far as we could see there were blue skies and fluffy white clouds.  It was beautiful!

Our God has made such a beautiful world to live in, to view, to enjoy.  Won’t it be grand to be in his bright and glorious presence for ever and ever?  In Psalms 104 the writer simply starts out with the idea; “Praise the Lord, O my soul.  O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.”    Note that the writer did not simply say God is great but rather “very great.”  After that one flight I deeply appreciate that thought.  Because He is “very great” the result in our life should be that of praise.  Praise God for his creative genius that can take a dark and dreary cloud on one side and with the light of His sun transform it into white clouds.  The psalmist goes on and says; “He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.”  I still do not know what Heaven is going to be like.  I get glimpses of its beauty in the scripture, but still I cannot completely understand.  As Elaine and I soared through the air I could not help but think about the idea of “making the clouds his chariot.”  Whatever God wants is what God is able to do.  As a child have you ever found the perfect little hill to lie down on and look up into the clouds?  As you looked did you ever let your imagination run to the point that the clouds began to take shapes of things that your imagination allowed you to form.  Did you ever see God riding in the clouds?  He was there, just look a little closer.  You will see Him in an answered prayer, you will feel his gentle nudging as you are encouraged to serve him.  You will feel his strong arm around your shoulder as you struggle through emotional difficulties.  You will sense being held in the hallow of his hand as you are protected from the evils of this old world.  Could this image cause you to “...sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.”  (Psalms 104: 33).  

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

www.hawleybooks.com

E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com