Rise Above the Clouds

July 31, 2009

By Ken Horn

They call it the cloud deck, the top of a layer of clouds viewed from above. Going through it in an aircraft is often turbulent. For the infrequent flier it can also be uncertain. It can sometimes be frightening, even for seasoned travelers.

Those who are below it see only what is nearest the ground. The cloud deck shuts out the light to the regions beneath it. But above it the sun continues to shine. In 2005, on a blustery, cloudy day, we took a family trip to the summit of Mount Diablo in California. We were bundled up and had little hope for much of a view.

But about halfway up the mountain, we emerged into sunlight. It was a gorgeous day with a wonderful view of Diablo’s upper half. From the summit, we looked down on the cloud deck. It dawned on me that thousands down in the valley were spending the day in dreariness, while the few of us who had ascended the mountain were enjoying sunshine.

You don’t have to be in outer space to see the sun on a dark day. You just have to be above the clouds. Going through the clouds can be the most disturbing part of a flight. But, if you’re ascending, you have the expectation of sunshine and peaceful skies.

Life offers its own cloud decks — trials that seem to shut out the sun. You need courage and resolve to break through. In the cloud, to keep you from crashing into the side of a mountain instead of soaring above it, you need guidance (the Holy Spirit, John 16:13), confidence (faith in God, Hebrews 13:6), and communication (relationships with other believers, Acts 2:44).

— Ken Horn is the editor of the Pentecostal Evangel and blogs at Snapshots (khorn.agblogger.org).