Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds —
his name is the Lord— be exultant before him. – Psalm 68:4
What a powerful image of God, “him who rides upon the clouds…” I know that often when we think of clouds, we think of days when we are missing out on being outdoors. The first couple of days of this week felt like that. The storms and rain came rolling in, and put a literal damper on a few things. I don’t often mind the rain, I actually appreciate it right now, especially as I’m trying to get some new grass to grow in my back yard. And in between rain showers this week, I was able to plant a few new trees as well. I know the rain will help them to grow, but so will the sunshine.
When I think about God as one who rides the clouds, my mind goes to those lazy afternoons when you can lay outside in the field or (my preference) a hammock, read a good book, listen to some music, and enjoy the day. On those days, we might glance up to the sky and see some fluffy clouds floating past us, and enjoy the beauty they share. My kids have reached the stage of life that they start to see object in the shapes of the clouds, and like generations before, we share what we see, and how it moves across the sky. I remember one day seeking a cloud formation that looked like a castle in a wonderful kingdom, and perhaps this is a good image for the God who rides upon the clouds.
I know and realize that the kingdom of God is far grander than what I could imagine on top of a cloud. But beyond the clouds, the sky, the earth, and even what we know, now, as outer space, there exists a place we call heaven. Yet, this place is also as close as a heartbeat. The God who created everything, and who created and sustains us knows everything about us, our hopes, dreams and imaginations, and rides upon the clouds watching and blessing us all along this journey of life.
These thoughts should give us reason, all the more, to sing praises to him. Reality is, songs are prayers we pray twice, and they are the longest lasting prayers of our life as well. Even for those whose memories begin to fail and fade, music remains, the prayer of the heart in song rides through the sky just like the clouds for in songful praise I think we are closer to God than even a heartbeat, resting and secure in His arms.
May the songs of praise be on your lips, today, as you give praise to the one who rides on the clouds above you. Amen.
Grace & Peace,
Sam