Blessings in the Clouds
Psalm 147:8
"Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains."
Often, when I go to the airport to take a flight to a meeting, I can see the storm clouds coming in and know that I am probably in for a bumpy ride. For many years, I disliked those clouds because of a bad flight I had many years prior. The clouds reminded me of the bad flight I had, and my mind would remind me of the adversity of the clouds instead of their blessings.
I fear that many people look at the clouds of life the same way I looked at the clouds when I flew because of bad experiences they've had in the past. Every time they see the clouds, they are reminded of the bad experiences of the clouds instead of what came from those clouds. What many forget to see is the blessings that those clouds brought to their life.
In the verse above, the Psalmist talks about the clouds covering the heaven. When he talked about the clouds, he wasn't complaining about them covering the sunshine; instead, he showed the blessings of the clouds. He said that the clouds prepared rain that would fall to the Earth. He understood that the rain made the grass to grow. He also understood that because the grass grew, the cattle had food to eat. He realized that because the cattle had something to eat, it eventually gave him food to eat. No, he didn't immediately realize the blessings of the clouds, but he knew that the clouds would eventually bring him personal blessings.
You must realize that the clouds of life are not always bad. You can choose to look at the clouds as a time of adversity, or you can choose to look at the blessings the clouds bring to you and others. If you dwell on the immediate, you will only complain about the clouds; but, if you look to the future you will see that the clouds are a blessing to your life.
Furthermore, the clouds of life are not brought to you just so that you can receive blessings, but they are also brought to you so that you can be a blessing to others. I often say that God uses us as object lessons to be a help to others. I have realized in my life that most of the hard times that I endure are not for my good, but they are for the good of others. When you see the storm clouds gather on the horizon of your life, you should take those storm clouds as a sign to minister to the needs of others. God doesn't send you through hard times just to make you miserable; He allows you to go through them so that you can help others who are facing the same clouds.
Moreover, you must realize that there was a period of time between the clouds gathering and the time that the Psalmist enjoyed the blessings of the clouds. Likewise, your blessings won't be immediately realized. You must be patient with God and realize that He doesn't work on human timing, instead He works on His own timing. If you will be patient and not give up, you will see the blessings of the clouds in your life.
Have the clouds gathered in your life? Has it been awhile since you have seen the sun shine in your life? Don't despair, the blessings are on the way. When you allow your cloudy days to be a blessing to others, it is then when you will find that the clouds will become a blessing in your own life. Stop complaining, and look for a way to use your clouds to help others. If you do, you will find the blessings in the clouds.