Lessons from the Beach: Part I

Why does it have to be cloudy this morning?

“He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud…” [Exodus 13:21]

Sunrise! My absolute favorite part of the day! There is nothing quite as spectacular as a brilliant sunrise. The anticipation of a new day. The freshness of morning. The quiet before the busyness begins. I love the sunrise!

Recently, my wife and I enjoyed a trip to Myrtle Beach. It is our favorite place to vacation. One of the reasons? Sunrises! But during this trip, I realized something new about sunrises. A little bit of cloudiness makes the colors of a sunrise even more spectacular. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I much prefer a “not a cloud in the sky” day; however, I discovered there are more radiant colors when clouds are present. It is almost paradoxical to our thinking.

Did you realize that clouds are actually a signal of the presence of God? Often, they symbolize His glory, too. Sounds odd doesn’t it? The verse above references God leading the Israelites through the desert, and just before that, it says, “The Lord went ahead of them.”  Wow! God going before us and guiding us with a cloud! Sign me up for that journey.  

Check out these additional references to clouds:

• God appeared to Moses in a “thick cloud” (Ex. 18:9).

• He appeared to Moses on the mountain “shrouded in black clouds” (Deut. 4:11).

• God’s covenant sign was also surrounded by clouds: “…the rainbow will appear in the clouds…” (Gen. 9:14).

• The Israelites witnessed God’s presence at the Tabernacle, too: “Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34).

• God spoke about His son, Jesus, from a cloud: “Then a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen One’” (Luke 9:35).

Have you ever heard someone say, “There’s just a cloud hanging over me.”  What if the cloud was actually God trying to get our attention? Perhaps He wants to speak to us from the clouds, or maybe He wants us to notice His presence even when it appears cloudy.

Does your forecast call for clouds today?