They are not all Dark Clouds

They are not all Dark Clouds

In only the past 40+ years, my adult lifetime, we have witnessed a tragic number of devastating events in the United States alone. Worldwide that number becomes unimaginable to most people. We have seen earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, major epidemics or at least their threat, floods, avalanches, major storms, enormous tornadoes, droughts and heat waves, nuclear power plant accidents, fires and explosions, shipwrecks, aircraft crashes, space accidents, railroad accidents, oil spills, terrorist attacks and many others I will not take time to enumerate. Dark clouds have shadowed our land almost daily. 

There is always something looming just beyond the edge of today. There have been dark clouds on the horizon almost every morning that I have gotten out of bed to face another day. Maybe they have not shadowed the sky above me directly but dark clouds have dimmed the sky nearby each one of us too often. 

I believe God is in control of even the darkest clouds. Nothing has ever taken God by surprise. A phrase recently made popular says, “Has it ever occurred to you that nothing has ever occurred to God?” God may or may not have designed each event in history (I will leave that to the theologians) but He certainly uses events to bring about His will. So, we would be wise to watch those dark clouds and learn what we can as we compare today’s events to the Word of God. Listen to what Jesus said in Luke 21, “(v.10) Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: (v.11) and great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. (v.12) But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.” “(V.16) And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. (v.17) And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.” “(V.20) And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. (V.21) Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. (v.22) For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.” “(V.25) And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; (V.26) men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. (v.27) “And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." At the end of all of this horror Jesus will return with his armies to defeat Satan once and for all.

Yes, I am aware that Luke 21 is a reference to the tribulation period. However, the world does not arrive there without having become so vial and godless that we pass into it without notice. The unsaved will wake up one day in the tribulation and that first morning will be no different than the last morning when the children of God were raptured out. Dark clouds of sin will have filled the skies and it will seem all hope is gone. Christians (saved during the tribulation) will be outnumbered and persecuted worldwide. Dark clouds will cover the skies.

But not every cloud will be dark. At the end of this seemingly bleak picture in Luke Jesus inserts a sense of hope and anticipation for the child of God. At the end of all of the terror and judgment, disease and violence predicted here Jesus adds a ray of hope. He says just before the 7 years of tribulation begin, a window of hope is opened. “(V.28) And when these things begin (when these things begin, when they start) to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” When these events begin, at the start of the tribulation, before the judgment of God falls, Jesus says, “lift up your heads.”  

There is a song I really enjoy. It was sung by many but my favorite rendition is by the Happy Goodman’s. It is says, “Early one morning I walked out the door way, and stopped to look up at the sky, I was thinking how this may be the exact day, that Jesus would sound forth the cry. There was nothing but blue skies with one little white cloud, slowly slipping along, I got so excited that I shouted out loud, this may be the cloud He's coming back on.”

Christian, every morning when you walk out your door take time to look up at the sky. In the midst of all those dark clouds you just may see "one little white cloud slowly slipping along….” 

They are not all dark clouds.