journey onWord with us

January was a cloudy month for Genel and I, both literally and figuratively. Our state had very few days of sun, and lots of snow. It seemed that wherever we turned there was pain and stress. And to top it off, on January 31^st at my favorite Chinese restaurant, I received a fortune cookie with no fortune inside (ha)! Cloudy days and months are part of the human condition, but they should never dim the brightness of the Son in our lives. My personal experience is that when clouds hover, the Son’s reflection can be easily overshadowed. You probably have experienced some of the same feelings. But we must accept that when the Father allows the clouds, He wants us to reflect the Son.

A review of history will show that mankind has always had cloudy seasons. In our Scripture reading this week, I witnessed great examples of how to live under the clouds. Peter and John were used of the Lord, but faced persecution. Peter was not a man to back down, and in Acts 4:12 gave words that left no doubt about real salvation. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” The clouds (persecution) that Peter and John faced could have caused them to be timid about Christ. In his proclamation, Peter reflected the Son as the only way to heaven. Religion may debate it, but the Bible is clear.

In the very next chapter in Acts, the apostles were called in and flogged. They were ordered not to speak in the name of Jesus.  But hear how they responded … “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.” (Acts 5:41)  I would classify getting flogged as a cloudy day, but the apostles continued to reflect the good news of the Son. Further reading in Acts took me to Stephen who was stoned for a life that radiated the Son’s love.

Persecution has never really been a part of my life. You may tell the same story. But we have certainly seen cloudy days and months. I am convinced that those cloudy times are invaluable moments and opportunities for reflecting the Son. There are a world of people around us that need the light of the world, Jesus. What better time to reflect the Son’s love, grace and mercy than during times when we are overshadowed by pain and stress. People need the Lord, and they need to see Him reflected in our lives.

If you are a Christ follower, there are people around you who need to see His reflection. Don’t let clouds dim the truth of His love. The examples that we found in Acts should give us all courage to be appropriately bold about our faith. When we clearly radiate His love, the Light of the world is seen. Let’s trust that February will be less cloudy and filled with the warmth of the Son.