Jesus and Clouds

Do You See Jesus in Your Clouds? (Oswald Chambers/July 29)

Behold, He is coming with clouds . . . (Revelation 1:7)

In the Bible clouds are always associated with God. Clouds are the sorrows, sufferings, or providential circumstances, within or without our personal lives, which actually seem to contradict the sovereignty of God. Yet it is through these very clouds that the Spirit of God is teaching us how to walk by faith. If there were never any clouds in our lives, we would have no faith. "The clouds are the dust of His feet" (Nahum 1:3). They are a sign that God is there. What a revelation it is to know that sorrow, bereavement, and suffering are actually the clouds that come along with God! God cannot come near us without clouds— He does not come in clear-shining brightness.

It is not true to say that God wants to teach us something in our trials. Through every cloud He brings our way, He wants us to unlearn something. His purpose in using the cloud is to simplify our beliefs until our relationship with Him is exactly like that of a child— a relationship simply between God and our own souls, and where other people are but shadows. Until other people become shadows to us, clouds and darkness will be ours every once in a while. Is our relationship with God becoming more simple than it has ever been?

There is a connection between the strange providential circumstances allowed by God and what we know of Him, and we have to learn to interpret the mysteries of life in the light of our knowledge of God. Until we can come face to face with the deepest, darkest fact of life without damaging our view of God’s character, we do not yet know Him.

"…they were fearful as they entered the cloud" (Luke 9:34). Is there anyone except Jesus in your cloud? If so, it will only get darker until you get to the place where there is "no one anymore, but only Jesus…" (Mark 9:8; also see Mark 2-7).

Benjamin

Benjamin has taken a job at the system office in the Institutional Research department. He's been a real addition to our prayer and discussion group (see "Faith at Work"/June 22) in the short time he's been with us. We're all glad that he got the position, but will miss him.

It's Nice to Be Home

Returning home feels really good: unpacking and putting stuff away; getting organized; going through the mail that has accumulated; taking a shower and shaving in my own bathroom; sitting in my own living room; a familiar dinner in the kitchen; the yard; cucumbers from the garden; the cats; my own bed.

Look Upon Us, O Lord

Look upon us, O Lord, and let all the darkness of our souls vanish before the beams of thy brightness. Fill us with holy love, and open to us the treasures of thy wisdom. All our desire is known unto thee, therefore perfect what thou hast begun, and what thy Spirit has awakened us to ask in prayer. We seek thy face, turn thy face unto us and show us thy glory. Then shall our longing be satisfied, and our peace shall be perfect (St. Augustine).

Note to Rick

Brother Rick, We'll be away the week of July 24, in PA. I'm enjoying participating in the Alpha course (did I tell you about that?). Thoughts on teaching:

You mentioned once that you don't feel that you have a gift for teaching. But, as I think about it, in one very real sense you are an excellent teacher. (This came to mind as I thought about your comment that the Cambridge fellowship asked you to not travel but once per month.) You set a fine example for younger believers-

1. Commitment to knowing scripture and living in obedience to scriptural teachings, even at significant personal "cost"
2. Being interested in the lives of other believers
3. Expressing thoughts and questions that reflect a knowledge of scripture and scriptural principles
4. Rejection of the American culture's rampant material-ism, consumer-ism, status-ism, hedon-ism, etc.
5. Not striving for personal recognition or status or attention
6. Commitment to support other believers in various ways
7. Prayerful decision-making
8. Patience

Teaching Christian maturity by example may make a greater impact than more traditional "teaching," in the classroom sense- seeing a sermon, so to speak.

cs

The House Seems Rather Quiet

Things are changing around the house. With one son at camp for the week (and now working when he's not at camp), one son living in at home and in West Hartford, and the daughter working two summer jobs- it's just not the same.

Every now and then I find myself moving into a new phase of life and it is a bit of a surprise, even when I knew it was coming.