clouds

A Weather Report

/ Being Woven / 12 Comments

I love how God has given us weather reports throughout the Bible. He tells us of the actual rains and winds on this physical earth. He also uses weather-related metaphors giving us wonderfully clear word pictures.

The one we are probably most familiar with is Noah and the ark ~

And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. Genesis 7:12

And Jonah ~

But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. Jonah 1:4

The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. Nahum 1:3

Then Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt. Exodus 9:23

Wild and gentle are the ways of the weather. Wild and gentle are the ways of God.

“Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb. For I will proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God! Deuteronomy 32:1-3

And He was also saying to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it turns out. Luke 12:54

From the breath of God ice is made,
And the expanse of the waters is frozen. Job 37:10

For to the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
likewise to the downpour, His mighty downpour. Job 37:6

Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling His word! Psalm 148:7-8

You will be visited by the Lord of hosts with thunder and with earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of a devouring fire. Isaiah 29:6

Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant was seen within His temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. Revelations 11:19

by Justin Battles

Then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Leviticus 26:4

Sometimes, I think that God must have storehouses filled with rainwater, snow, hail for the deluges are so enormous that the areas upon which the storm dumps floods, or avalanches, or all that is in the path of the wind is totally destroyed. But, oh, that is my human imagination. I do not know now. One day!

The clouds poured out water; the skies gave forth thunder;
Your arrows flashed on every side. The crash of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
Your lightnings lighted up the world; the earth trembled and shook. Psalm 77:17-18

And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 1 Kings 19:11-12

It is He who made the earth by His power, who established the world by His wisdom, and by His understanding stretched out the heavens. When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and He makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and He brings forth the wind from His storehouses. Jeremiah 10:12-13

Yet, in the darkness, the light will come. God is so much more than the very circumstances.

I praise You, my Father.

I form light and create darkness;
I make well-being and create calamity;
I am the LORD, who does all these things.

“Shower, O heavens, from above,
and let the clouds rain down righteousness;
let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit;
let the earth cause them both to sprout;
I the LORD have created it.” Isaiah 45:7-8

Father, God of Heaven and Earth, You have created all. You have placed us in the midst that we would care for Your earth. You provide in ways to water the plants and give humans water to drink. Yet, many of Your ways I cannot understand for so many live without sources of water and many places on this planet are shriveling up for lack of water. And other places (and its people) are flooded beyond recognition. My ways are not Yours, but one day, Lord, will I understand? This earth is such a beautiful place but it was far more so when You first created the Garden of Eden. We have caused must decay and dismay by not being the caretakers You desired from us. I am sorry that we continue to fail You and Your creation. Lord, as I think about the majesty and harshness of weather upon this world, I think of the Ukrainian people for they are never far from my mind and heart these days. They are trying to hunker down or flee their country in the midst of freezing cold with some snow while the country is in the midst of a horrible war. Please hold them closely while some seek safe shelter where they are while others run to other countries. Please keep Mr. Putin and his forces from bombing hospitals and places that should be a safe haven. Please, Lord, stop this awful war. I am usually a peacemaker, but this is so beyond any ability of my own. I cannot even make peace among my friends these days. Only You can do that, Father God…any and all of it. My Prince of Peace, please rain Your peace upon us all, especially this time in Ukraine. The beautiful, although at times, threatening, but also awe-inspiring weather is so filled with You and the amazing God You are. May I look in awe at it and know that You are the God of all this earth…the God of me. Guide my steps to keep me on the path of righteousness. I love You, Lord. In the Powerful Name of Christ Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life.” John 8:12

rain @ wallpaper cave

waves/lighthouse @ The Inertia

hurricane @ AGU Blogosphere

huge storm @ Wallpapertag.com

Hail @ audiojungle

rainclouds over green hills/barn @ pixelstalk.net

rain storm @ Pixelstalk

Ice Storm @ Vermont Institute of Natural Science

Snow storm @ The Morning Call

Fire @ The National Interest

Lightning @ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Lightning #2 by Justin Battles @ strangesounds.org

Alaska Earthquake damage @ KOTATV

Rain and Hail in Ruidoso, NM @ Ruidoso News

wild clouds @ fanpop

Extreme weather collage @ NASA.gov

Tornado @ Weather.com

mammoth dust storm @ The Washington Post

Storm over boats @ Woodenboat.com

Sea with sunset @ Pixelstalk

sunny day/high clouds @ desktop backgrounds

By Way of Clouds

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low-cloouds-la-madre

Moses was a friend of God’s.  God spoke to him face-to-face, intimately.  When Moses returned from the mountain with the Ten Commandments written on the tablets by God, the people were found to be dancing and singing around an idol, a calf made from their gold, melted down and reformed.  God became intensely angered by His people.  Moses was angry as well, yet he wanted reconciliation between God and His people.

Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent.  When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses.  And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door.  Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.  Exodus 33:8-10

For years, I have pondered this sight…of the people seeing the pillar of cloud and standing at their own tent door, worshipping.  They saw God come down and surround the tent with Moses in it.  They knew this pillar of cloud from their past experience…God had led them through the wilderness by the pillar of cloud and stopped them for rest by the pillar of fire.  They understood this and thus they watched and worshipped.  They knew they had done wrong, were sinners, and had not surrendered all to God.  They wanted to be reconciled to God, but knew they could not go directly to God themselves.

Moses was their mediator.

God sees our sin and asks us to lay it down, all of it.  The Israelites may have laid some things down but, as we know, some of those little things (those little things we tend to overlook and not call ‘sins’) stay in our hands with a tight grip.  God wants everything that comes between us and Him.

In the Old Testament, God called His people to give their burdens over to Him:

Cast your burden on the Lord,

and He will sustain you;

He will never permit

the righteous to be moved.  Psalm 55:22

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God sent His Son as the Sacrifice for our sins.  The Blood of Jesus was shed for me and for you. We carry the sinful nature of mankind.  God wants our all in surrender.  We are to cast our burdens upon Him and get under His yoke with Him.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”  Matthew 11:29-30

one_mediator

Jesus is our Mediator, our Intercessor.

This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, Who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.  For there is one God, and there is one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, Who gave Himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.  1 Timothy 2:3-6

John to the seven churches that are in Asia:  Grace to you and peace from Him Who is and Who was and Who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ the Faithful Witness, the Firstborn of the dead, and the Ruler of kings on earth.  To Him Who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.  Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Even so. Amen.  Revelation 1:4-7

Father, clouds are with us most days.  May they be a reminder of Your Presence and the Sacrifice You made for us…for me.  May I not forget.  I know I hold sin as if they mean so very little, but they lie between You and me.  They hinder my relationship with You.  I place them at the foot of the Cross and ask for Your forgiveness through Your Son’s shed Blood for me.  Teach me Your ways that I would not sin against You, my Father.  Hold me near, that Your Love will permeate my being and make me whole.  You have not called me to impurity but to holiness and that is my strongest desire, LORD.  May this be so.  May I see a cloud and sense Your Presence in my very life.  I am so very grateful.  In the Name of Jesus, I pray.  Amen.

beblacksig

Clouds … Fog

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Fog

Walking in fog…like walking in mist, translucent and close, yet not confining except for a visual confinement of sorts.  A cloud near to or on the ground.

A cloud is defined as “a visible mass of liquid droplets or frozen crystals made of water or various chemicals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of a planetary body.”   Fog is defined as “a collection of liquid water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth’s surface. Fog can be considered a type of low-lying cloud, and is heavily influenced by nearby bodies of water, topography, wind conditions, and even human activities.”

“A low-lying cloud”… 

Moses and the people of Israel knew a cloud that came down, a cloud that led them in the wilderness.  Moses alone knew that from the cloud God spoke to him.

And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.  Exodus 13:21

And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” ….  Exodus 19:9

The glory of the LORD dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.  Exodus 24:16

When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the LORD would speak with Moses.  Exodus 33:9 

And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. Exodus 33:10

God spoke to Peter, James and John when they were on the mountain with Jesus. 

And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is My beloved Son; listen to Him.”  Mark 9:7

Jesus went to Heaven by a cloud and, one day, He will return for us on a cloud.

And when He had said these things, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight.  And while they were gazing into heaven as He went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?  This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.”  Acts 1:9-11

And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Luke 21:27

Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Even so. Amen.  Revelation 1:7

These are but a few of the many verses in the Bible with the word “cloud.”  But these particular verses also tell us of God.  God came to Moses in a cloud.  He spoke to Moses.  He spoke to Peter, James and John when they were on the mountain with Jesus.  God led the Israelites through the wilderness by “the pillar of cloud.”  They walked in obedience to God for they knew God was in this cloud.  

I can look upon fog and clouds through new eyes as I place these and many other verses together in my heart’s eye.  God reveals Himself in so many ways to those who listen and watch for Him.  I sense His nearness with God when enshrouded by the low-lying cloud, the fog.  A cloud above me reminds me of His Presence.

Father, desiring to know You is my heart’s desire.  I pray that as I stroll through a woods on a foggy day or look up into the sky to see the beautiful white puffs against a bright blue background, that I shall see You in my heart, feel You wrapped around me holding me closely.  May I listen and know the words You speak to me whether it be through Your Word, actual words spoken, or through others who share Your Truth with me.  I pray that I am available and obedient to Your call.  May I know the “pillar of cloud” when You go before me leading me on Your chosen path.   You are my God and I desire to know You…to know You in the ways that You come to me, to know Your character, to know Your Truth, Your Holiness.  Whether by a cloud, a rainbow, Your voice, I want to know You.  Guide me in every step, LORD.  Thank You. I pray in the Name of Your Blessed Son.  Amen.  

BW sig dark blue

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Photo: http://www.hinghamweather.com/

Quotes on “cloud” and fog” from  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fog and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud