Billowing clouds

Clouds, a photo by bobmendo on Flickr.

The turbulence in today's weather is not the substance of this blog, but the beginning of the thoughts that prompt it. I awoke at 4 am to massive rain storms and the heavy rain has continued throughout this Shabbat. We must have received over 3" already of rain and it's not done by a long shot. Up in northern New South Wales, they are talking about receiving over 10" in 2 days. Oy.

But that's part of the cycle of life. Rain comes and rain goes. And the rain brings needed relief to the dams and to the drought-ridden areas which characterized Australia for so long. Bill Bryson titled his book about our country "In a sunburned country" before they renamed it. Drought and sun baking, that's Australia, certainly the bush or outback, to be sure.

Clouds that bring rain are normal. Clouds that bring hope which doesn't produce anything...they are empty promises and frustrating. Imagine if you will, the parched land out west, and a front of clouds like those pictured, begin to make their way over your property. You would get excited. You would anticipate rainfall. If then the rains do not fall, if the clouds come and then go, you would feel disappointment.

Hosea, the Jewish prophet, wrote about idol worshipers in Israel in chapter 13 verse 3 "Therefore they will be like the morning cloud, And like dew which soon disappears, like chaff which is blown away from the threshing floor and like smoke from a chimney."

That theme is picked up by Jude, the Newer Testament author in verse 12 "These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted." He is writing about false prophets, and false teachers. These are "ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Y'shua the Messiah."

False hope. False teachers. Empty clouds. Promises unmet and unable to be met.

Better to find Y'shua. Better to find the One who promises and fulfills what He promises.

Need help to find Him? Let me know.