by Linda Veath
Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm. …. ~ Job 38:1 NIV
I love clouds. I’m a cloud-gawker. It’s likely my neighbors think I’m a little weird when I walk around my yard with my head back, a camera in hand, taking photos. A ten-minute drive can turn into a twenty-minute drive because I’m driving slowly, staring at the sky, pulling over wherever there’s room, and snapping photos.
I feel God’s presence so strongly—and hear His voice so clearly—in the clouds. And I am awed by the beauty of His handiwork.
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. ~ Psalm 19:1 NIV
The approach of fall always excites me because I anticipate how God will decorate the deep, deep blue of the sky with beautiful, puffy, white clouds. Suspended in the expanse, ever changing as they drift along, clouds of every shape or form serve as a sure reminder that fall (and cooler weather!) is near.
Even storm clouds are breathtakingly beautiful. Whether huge and white, signaling a storm in the distance, or gray-black, roiling and tumbling to let us know a storm is near, storm clouds ooze God’s power and majesty. Admittedly, they can be scary and dangerous, a reminder of God’s judgement; but there is also beauty that bursts forth as the storms pass by.
Like a rainbow. A brilliant rainbow that God hangs in the sky, with clouds as a back-drop, glimmering through the remnants of the storm to remind us of His promises.
Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant …. ~ Genesis 9:16 NIV
Perhaps my favorite sky is when the clouds attempt to obscure the sun. Rays of light, sometimes gently peeking through the clouds, other times bursting through with blinding glory, remind us that Christ will some day return in a sky even more glorious.
Yes, I believe God speaks to me—to all of us—in His clouds. The question is: “Are we listening?”
Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him …. ~ Revelation 1:7 NIV
All photos by Linda Veath