It's a Cloudy Day

“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes.” —Job 42:5-6

We often wish for blue skies instead of storm clouds. 

But cloudy skies may reveal God’s faithfulness. 

We gain perspective on how God has been faithful in our trials as we look back on the clouds.

In Job 3:3-5, after a time of quiet agony, Job broke his silence and let out his anguish. 

He called for darkness and then destruction to overwhelm him. 

Instead of seeing God’s light-filled and good creation, Job felt he was living in a world of darkness. 

But in Job 42:5-6, we see the resolution to Job’s conflict. 

Out of the whirlwind, God challenged Job and pointed to creation as a witness to His reality. 

Although Job was never told that his sufferings were the result of spiritual warfare from the devil, Job submitted to the sovereignty of God and experienced restoration.

Job's experience of despair continued for a long time until God spoke. Then he encountered the sovereign Creator, and that changed his perspective on God’s purposes.

Clouds of trouble may fill our skies for a time.

But then, God may use these clouds to help us gain perspective on His faithfulness.

Often the clouds of sorrow reveal the sunshine of God's face. 

Start Counting Your Blessings

So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen. (Matthew 20:16)

Here we have Jesus' parable of the workers and their grossly unfair paychecks.

Some people who have been idly standing around are hired by a landowner at the eleventh hour (Matthew 20:6-7).

The other workers, who have been serving him all day long, are shocked when each receives identical pay.

The landowner paid the same amount for 1 hour's work as for 12!

Jesus was giving us a parable about grace, which cannot be calculated like a day's wage.

God dispenses gifts, not wages.

Let us never dwell on the efforts we have made.

Let us rather start counting our blessings.

Even the Wind and the Sea Obey Him

"But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" (Mark 4:40)

The incident painted a picture of a small boat threatened with destruction in a furious storm.

As the disciples were struggling against the wind and waves, the Lord Jesus Christ was undisturbed. While the disciples were frantically trying to save a sinking boat, the Lord Jesus Christ was asleep.

The Lord Jesus Christ was so tired that even the violent tossing of the waves did not wake Him.

Didn't the Lord Jesus Christ care that they were all about to die?

After the Lord Jesus Christ calmed the storm, He asked them the penetrating question, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?"

Then the disciples became even more afraid, exclaiming to each other, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"

It was a vivid lesson to the disciples about who Jesus is and what He can do.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the omnipotent sovereign God.

Just as Jesus' disciples, to each person who trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ, He reveals His presence, compassion, and control in every storm of life.

The Law was once our Tutor

What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made. (Galatians 3:19)

The law was added because of our transgressions. 

It was added because of our sins, the violations of the law.

The law serves to reveal our sins against God and His law.

The law serves until the Seed comes to whom the promise was made.

It is there to serve the promised children of God before Christ comes to them.

The law was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.

The law is not against the promises of God.

The law cannot give life.

The law cannot give true righteousness.

According to Scriptures, all men are confined under sin.

Only those who believe are given the promise, by faith in Jesus Christ.

But before faith came, the promised children of God are kept under guard by the law. They are kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.

The law serves as our tutor to bring us to Christ.

But the law cannot justify us.

We are only justified by faith in Jesus Christ.

Faith has come.

The children of promise are no longer under the law.

The law is no longer our tutor.

Our tutor is the Lord Jesus Christ through faith.

Honor the Man of God

And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. (Galatians 2:9)

God shows personal favoritism to no man.

God created us. 

All that we have come from God. 

Nothing we have stays permanently. 

Naked we come; naked we will return.

Whatever we have, it is to be used for our spiritual good.

God wants us to worship Him and enjoy His Presence.

God wants us to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Whatever we have, it is to be used for God's Glory.

God loves those who love Him.

God cares for those who obey His Commandments.

We care not those who are big in their own eye.

They are nothing to us and need no mention.

We care for those who labor and love for God.

We help them and lessen their worries and troubles.

The Jewish Christians in Judea could see that the gospel for the Gentiles had been committed to the apostle Paul, just like the gospel for the Jews was committed to the apostle Peter. God Who worked effectively in apostle Peter's ministry had also worked effectively in apostle Paul's ministry

When James, Peter, and John, the Christian leaders of the Jew, recognised the grace of God working in apostle Paul's ministry, they acknowledged, honored and welcomed the ministry of  the apostle Paul and Barnabas. They encouraged them to go on. Their only desire was that they should remember the poor, the very thing which the apostle Paul also was eager to do.

It is great to see children of God walking in faith and love.

We should give them the right hand of fellowship.

We should encourage them on.

We should honor those who honor God and submit to God.