HomeWord - Feb. 5, 2009

Even in the Clouds
This devotional was written by Leslie Snyder

Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6

On the soundtrack of our family’s favorite movie is a song we’ve adopted as a sort of theme song for life. Some of the lyrics follow:

When you're feeling lonely, lost and let down
Seems like those dark skies are following you around
And life's just one big shade of gray
You wonder if you'll see the light of day

Behind the clouds, the sun is shining
Believe me even though you can't quite make it out
You may not see the silver lining
But there's a big blue sky waiting just behind the clouds

I've heard it said that this too shall pass
Good times or bad times, neither one lasts
But thinking that your luck won't ever change
Is like thinking it won't ever stop once it starts to rain.
(Behind the Clouds, by Brad Paisley, Produced by Frank Rogers.)

This song, while not referring specifically to the presence of God, reminds me that like the sun that is always shining, God is always with us. We may not always feel His presence or see His work, but that doesn’t mean He’s not there. Scripture gives evidence to the fact that God is eternal, and everywhere all the time. And just like the song, there will be days when His presence seems far away. It’s then that we must, like the psalmist who in desperation reaffirmed his own devotion to God when it seemed he was alone, “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me (Psalm 13:6).”

Going Deeper: Even in the darkest of nights, the sun still shines. And, in difficult times, it’s good to remember, “this too shall pass.”

Further Reading: Job 2:10b; Genesis 50:19-20

Leslie Snyder is a youth and family ministry veteran currently serving in the Kansas City area with her husband and three kids.