Beauty in the Clouds

Beauty in the Clouds

For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

Psalm 108:4 (ESV)

Thank you, God, for the beauty of your works in the midst of my stormy days. Help me to cling to you so that my life displays your spectacular goodness for all to see.

I realized that our spiritual life is much like this – it’s during the stormy times that we experience the most growth and when our relationship with God is most deep. We can see this in our favorite Bible characters: we don’t hear much about David during the years his kingdom was peaceful, but read in depth about his struggles with King Saul, Bathsheba and his rebellious sons. We know almost nothing about the years when Naomi was in Moab – instead, the story picks up when she’s tragically lost all the men in her life. The list goes on, but the pattern is clear – our God-story is more remarkable during the stormy times.

If we choose to cling to God when the clouds roll in, our relationship with him becomes rich. We grow in faith, in wisdom, and in our knowledge of the creator of the universe. It’s not that God is absent during the sunny times – it’s just that his beautiful handiwork doesn’t show up quite as clearly. Our struggles can become a glorious backdrop for his majesty and power.

Do I fully appreciate the beauty of the clouds in my life? Do I marvel at the richness of God’s goodness when the storms roll in? Or am I too focused on wishing for the sun to come out again?