Cloudy Circumstances
But now it has come to you, and you are impatient; it touches you, and you are dismayed. Job 4:5 (ESV)
Somewhere above these cloudy conditions there is beautiful sunshine with radiant rays of light shining as far as the naked eye can see—and beyond. I do not enjoy cloudy days where one closely follows another. I find them quite waring on my soul. But I am also aware that somewhere in the world, the sun is shining brightly.
But the clouds have now come to me, and I am not patient. They have touched me, and I am quite discouraged. I believe that we can all identify with Job in this verse. We tend to want what we want when we want it. Right here and right now! Whether answers, healing, finances, employment, or any other issue, we get uncomfortable when presented with a mystery in our lives or in the lives of those we love.
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7, ESV). I guess that covers the indefinites that we experience. He must have recognized that in being human, our immediate response would be some level of fear but then He goes on to speak of power, love, and self-control. Does that mean that we can control our cloudy circumstances? No! However, we can control our reactions to them. That is GREAT news!
He is our forever Friend and wants the best for us. While we are impatiently waiting for our ‘break’, He has been behind the scenes, working all things for good as we love Him. Sound familiar? As I write these words (with the help of the Holy Spirit), I still find it difficult to contend with cloudy and stormy-looking circumstances.
When we don’t know what’s coming next and the winter-day skies are filled with ominous clouds, perhaps we should throw another log of Trust on the fire.
Heavenly Father, thank You for never leaving us. Please teach us to trust You more and more with the difficult moments of our lives. Help us to remember Your wonderful Promises. AMEN.