CLOUDS by Editor | AdventAI

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jan 21, 1889

CLOUDS.

By Editor

WE hear a great many Christians complain of clouds. Such testimonies as this are common: "I enjoyed so much of the blessing of God a few days ago, and felt such peace in my heart, but lately I have been under a cloud." And the poor souls mourn and despond as though the Lord had lost all interest in them, and they could have no more confidence in him until he should remove that cloud.

We feel intensely sorry for such people, for they are making trouble for themselves, depriving themselves of great blessings, neglecting work that they ought to be doing for the Master, and dishonoring God by doubting him. Let us look at the matter for a few moments in the light of the Scriptures and common sense.

In the first place, clouds are very unsubstantial things. Sometimes, indeed, they look very dark and heavy and threatening, but the worst of them are nothing more than mist. We have seen heavy clouds hanging low upon the mountains, completely hiding their tops, but we have gone up through them without meeting the slightest difficulty, and have found clear sunlight above. Indeed, the cloud itself was not very dark when we got into it. That which from a distance looked like an impenetrable wall, was only vapor, and we found that when we were in the midst of it we could see quite a distance.

We never knew a cloud to fall down on a man and smother him. Clouds do not usually knock people down. They do very often shut out a good many of the sun's rays, but no clouds have ever yet been known to cause the sun to stop shining. They cannot even shut out all of its light from the earth. Take the most cloudy day, and you would find that if the sun should actually cease shining, the darkness would be inconceivably greater. The clouds do not get so thick but that some rays of light pierce through them.

The person who should say on a cloudy day that the sun had entirely ceased to shine, would be thought to have very little knowledge of the nature of the sun. So the person who thinks that God's love ceases every time a little gloom comes over the mind, either from natural causes or from Satan's malice, shows but little knowledge of the character of God. The psalmist says: "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." Ps. 90:1, 2. And the apostle describes our Saviour as "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever." Heb. 13:8. If God's love has been manifested toward us, we may be sure that a passing cloud cannot drive away that love. If he loved us yesterday, he loves us to-day. Listen to the words of the beloved disciple:—

"Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end." John 13:1.

To be frightened at the shadow of a passing cloud is an evidence of lack of faith in God. "But I don't feel near to God at such times," says one, "I feel just as though God was angry with me, and I dare not look up to him." That is just the trouble; you don't feel. When you felt the smile of God resting upon you, you trusted in that feeling, and not in the love and promise of God. But "we walk by faith, not by sight." "The just shall live by faith." Know, then, that nothing but sin can separate a soul from God. And even sin does not drive God away; it is simply that by which we take ourselves away from him. Now if the cloud is caused by sins committed, we know it; and knowing it, we know how to remove it. But if you are not conscious of having committed any sin that would bring darkness, then let your faith hold onto the promise of God. Know that God has not changed.

"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High." Ps. 92:1. The failure to thank God for mercies received, often brings darkness. It was a lack of thankfulness that made men heathen. "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened." Rom. 1:21. When people feel peculiarly happy, they are ready to exclaim with the psalmist: "I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord." Ps. 34:1, 2. But they forget all about their resolution just as soon as their good feeling passes away. Instead of that, when clouds come, they should bring sunshine again by their praises to God. It is by simple faith, not by feeling, that we know the love of God. It is impossible for us to feel the love of God, unless we have appropriated it by faith. It is faith that makes it real to us, so that we may feel it.

How can anybody doubt God? Has not Christ died? And if God "spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things." Rom. 8:32. What greater assurance can we ask for? Oh, that all might have such simple faith in God that they would take him just at his word, trusting him as fully in the darkness as in the light, knowing that the darkness and the light are both alike to God. Then they would say with the prophet: "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." Hab. 3:17, 18.

That is true faith. It was such faith as Job had when he said, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." When everything is clear, there is no call for faith; but when the clouds hang low, shutting out the beacon light, then faith in the Father's guiding hand is needed. The faith that makes the darkness even as the noonday, is the faith that overcomes the world. And why should we not have such faith, since Paul, who had every opportunity to make a careful calculation of the matter, says:—

"I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Rom. 8:38, 39. W.