For thought and meditation

[rl69]

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).

[Blackwater]

How would we EVER get to know God and His love for us if we weren't tested and proven? When He promised us He'd be with us always, we need to remember, and not feel He's left us to fend for ourselves when we're tested. Strength of faith is something we have to LEARN. It's not granted automatically to us, and God would NOT be benevolent if he shielded us from all tests of our faith and strength. After all, how do we train for physically challenging events, like ball games, weight lifting, etc? We constantly challenge our muscles and speed, don't we? Why should life be any different? If someone trained for a ball game by being pampered, they'd get plastered, wouldn't they? God wants us to be strong, most especially in our faith. Therefore, he "exercises" us by giving us challenges. It's how we grow ..... IF we take it that way. God truly knows EXACTLY what He's doing. We don't, even when (especially?) we THINK we do.