“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” ― John Lubbock
“Aren’t the clouds beautiful? They look like big balls of cotton… I could just lie here all day, and watch them drift by… If you use your imagination, you can see lots of things in the cloud formations… What do you think you see, Linus?”
“Well, those clouds up there look like the map of the British Honduras on the Caribbean… That cloud up there looks a little like the profile of Thomas Eakins, the famous painter and sculptor… And that group of clouds over there gives me the impression of the stoning of Stephen… I can see the apostle Paul standing there to one side…”
“Uh huh… That’s very good… What do you see in the clouds, Charlie Brown?”
“Well, I was going to say I saw a ducky and a horsie, but I changed my mind!”
― Charles M. Schulz
Ahhh, let me just lay here for a minute. The grass is soft, not those rough blades of St. Augustine grass, but cool, soft grass, maybe bluegrass. Just lie there and look up and watch the clouds move around. No worries about fire ants either. Just relax. Ever do that? Lie in the grass and look up at the clouds. What is it that you see? Horse, man’s face, sailing ship, what is it? That was entertainment. Hmmm, maybe better than having one’s face looking down all the time and in a “smart” phone. (By the way, why do we need smart phones? Are they for dummies? Just asking.)
When we would play ball we would look at the clouds coming over the mountain. If the clouds were dark and coming around the southside of Bear Mountain it was going to pour and we would probably get rained out. Any place else we could probably get the game in. Also, I personally liked to see the clouds in the sky when I played. It was harder to judge a fly ball or pop up without clouds. It was what we called a “high sky.”
Anyone who has spent much time outside looks at the clouds. They can detect storms, the direction of the wind by watching the clouds. David surely watched the clouds. The thing is that he has that spiritual view as well as the physical. He could see more than just rain. In one of his psalms he states, “Sing to God! Sing praises to His name. Exalt Him who rides on the clouds–His name is Yahweh–and rejoice before Him.” (Psalm 68:4, HCSB)
God rides on the clouds! Have you seen Him? I know I haven’t, but He is there. I wonder if He rides the white horses that He will soon ride through the clouds to gather His people? Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shot, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the CLOUDS to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will always be with the Lord.” (4:16-17, HCSB, emphasis added)
Imagine that! We will be riding through the skies on the clouds with the Lord. John says it will be a sight when the Lord returns. In Revelation he writes, “Look! He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, including those who pierced Him. And all the families of the earth will mourn over Him. This is certain. Amen.” (1:7, HCSB) The clouds must be important, for even Jesus mentioned them when speaking of His return. “’You have said it,’ Jesus told him. ‘But I tell you, in the future you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.’” (Matthew 26:64, HCSB)
Hopefully, when we look up and see a cloud, no matter the size, we will not just think of the weather, but will think of that Blessed Hope of the return of Jesus.