May 21
RAIN WITHOUT CLOUDS? NEVER!
"If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth"
Eccl. 11:3
Why, then, do we dread the clouds which now darken our sky? True,
for a while they hide the sun, but the sun is not quenched; he will
shine out again before long. Meanwhile those black clouds are filled
with rain; and the blacker they are, the more likely they are to yield
plentiful showers. How can we have rain without clouds?
Our troubles have always brought us blessings, and they always
will. They are the dark chariots of bright grace. These clouds will
empty themselves before long, and every tender herb will be the
gladder for the shower. Our God may drench us with grief, but He will
not drown us with wrath; nay, He will refresh us with mercy. Our
Lord's love-letters often come to us in black-edged envelopes. His
wagons rumble, but they are loaded with benefit. His rod blossoms with
sweet flowers and nourishing fruits. Let us not worry about the
clouds, but sing because May flowers are brought to us through the
April clouds and showers.
O Lord, the clouds are the dust of thy feet! How near thou art in
the cloudy and dark day! Love beholds thee, and is glad. Faith sees
the clouds emptying themselves and making the little hills rejoice on
every side.