HE ROLLS THE CLOUDS AWAY 

As I was looking out my window this day, I saw dark clouds and stormy skies.  We had had several days of snow, rain, wind, and the day was so dark.  Even as I entered my office this morning, the skies were dark with snow and rain showers.

Then as I looked at those clouds, they seemed to roll away before my eyes, and there was blue sky!  I thought of our Lord and how He sends the showers and the rain to water the earth, and then He sends the sunshine to warm our hearts.  Oh, what a Wonderful Lord we serve!

 And our walk with the Lord and our journey with Him is a walk of cloudy days, rainy days, dark days.  Sometimes, because of our tears, we don’t see Him as He is walking ahead of us.  But then He turns and smiles upon us, and brings the ”Sonshine” back into our lives.

I love the old, old hymns, and am sorry that we don’t sing them anymore.  Some are not even in our hymnals.  But the Lord brings them back into our hearts with a song.  Here is one some of you might remember from your childhood.

 IT’S JUST LIKE HIS GREAT LOVE

“A Friend I have, called Jesus, whose love is strong and true, and never fails, howe’er ‘tis tried, no matter what I do; I’ve sinned against this love of His, but when I knelt to pray, confessing all my guilt to Him, the sin-clouds rolled away.

CHORUS:  It’s just like Jesus to roll the clouds away, it’s just like Jesus to keep me day by day, it’s just like Jesus all along the way, it’s just like His great love.

Sometimes the clouds of trouble dim the sky above, I cannot see my Saviour’s face, I doubt His wondrous love; but He, from Heaven’s mercy seat, beholding my despair, in pity bursts the clouds between, and shows me He is there.

When sorrow’s clouds o’er take me, and break upon my head, when life seems worse than useless, and earthly hopes are dead, I take my grief to Jesus, then, nor do I go in vain, for heav’nly hope He gives that cheers like sunshine after rain.

Oh! I could sing forever of Jesus’ love divine, of all His care and tenderness, for this poor life of mine; His love is in and over all, and wind and waves obey when Jesus whispers “Peace, be still!” and rolls the clouds away. (Edna R. Worrell)

Yes, we have many “clouds” in our lives as we walk this journey in our lives.  The first “cloud” we face is our cloud of sin.  And we must come to the cross, meet Jesus there, for cleansing.  For there at the cross He took all our sins and sorrows on Himself, so that He could bring us redemption and wholeness, so serve Him here and be safe with Him for all eternity.  It’s just like His great love………….

“You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away.  Then God made you alive with Christ.  He forgave all our sins.  He canceled the record that contained charges against us.  He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross” Colossians 2:13-14.

And sometimes those clouds are “clouds of sorrow.”  Sometimes they are clouds of great troubles that come into our lives.  And sometimes those clouds dim the sky above, and are days become filled with darkness.  And many times we feel like He has forsaken us and we can’t seem to find our way out of our trials.  But He is there, and He will never forsake you.  You are very precious to Him, and it is because of His great love!

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb?  Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you.  See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before Me” Isaiah 49:15-16.

Yes, He loves you so much that He has engraved you on the palms of His nail pierced hands.  That is so precious!  It is so wonderful to know that He loves us so much that He would engrave each of us on the palms of His hands.  He sees you there, my friend.  And when those clouds darken your sky, and the wind blows your ship.  He comes and speaks “Peace, be still!” and those clouds roll away.  That is just like His great love!

And if you are going through troubles and you have not accepted this Wonderful Savior into your life, He is waiting for you with arms outstretched, calling your name.  As we begin this season leading up to Easter Sunday, wouldn’t this be a wonderful time to make that decision for Christ?  As we remember His sacrifice and resurrection, we also remember this is the season for new life, and especially new life in Jesus Christ.  And then the clouds of sin and despair will roll away, and the Son will shine in your life for now and for all eternity.

In Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon