Enter the Cloud

Luke 9:28-36

 

We live in the south, and one thing about the south is you get a good storm once in a while.  My wife is a storm nut!  She will literally stand out on the porch during the middle of a storm to watch it and then run back in the house and inform me that it is storming, like I did not know!  She loves a good storm so much that when it starts clouding up during the springtime, she starts getting excited.  Some time ago my family was on a vacation out west and as we drove across the plains you could see a huge storm forming in the distance.  As we got closer, I began to feel anxious because I knew we were about to enter the storm and there was great power with this storm, so much that it blew the bed cover off my truck before we ever got completely in the storm!  We were fearful as we entered the cloud.   There is so much energy and power and something that is completely out of our control during a storm, and that is what is so intriguing and yet fearful for people like my wife.  So much power!  If you are willing to get out of your comfort zone and stand on the porch as the cloud approaches, you can see something powerful!  There is just something about the cloud.

 

All throughout scripture the cloud represents the presence and power of God.  Let me make this absolute factual statement before we go any further, there is no force whatsoever that can withstand the power of the presence of God!!  One of the greatest reasons people do not walk in victory throughout this life is because they don’t walk with the presence of God.  No power of the enemy can stand against you when the presence of the Lord is with you.  That is a fact!  Romans 8:31 says “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” and 1st John 4:4 states “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”  What awesome promises!  If the presence of God is present in your life, then the enemy cannot stand, not because of us but because of the Power of God working in our life.  

How does the presence of God come in to our everyday life, by way of the Holy Spirit.   Let’s look at scripture to get a better understanding of how this works.   Exodus 13:21 “And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.”   As the children of Israel wondered around in the wilderness after being set free from bondage in Egypt, God led them with a pillar of cloud.  It says the cloud lead the way.  Remember the cloud represents the presence of God.  So, the presence of God leads the way for them to go.   The children of Israel, led by Moses and Aaron had no idea where to go and they depended on the presence of God to lead the way.  As a matter of fact, Moses even states in Exodus33:15 “Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.”  Moses didn’t want to do anything without the presence of God!

Exodus 24:15-16 “Then Moses went up into the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain.  Now the glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud” Here we see that the cloud, the presence of God, covered the mountain and then God speaks to Moses from the midst of the cloud. 

Exodus 33:9 “And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.”  Moses and his assistant Joshua would set up the tent of meeting in the wilderness and when they would go in the cloud would fill the tent.  Wow!  Can you imagine this scene, the presence of God filling the place where Moses and Joshua stood!  This tent went from being a dirty old tent that had been carried around in the desert to now a Holy place because of the presence of God.  Wouldn’t it be amazing today if when we entered the church house, we would allow the presence of God in the room?  Think of how different our church experience would be if it were less about us and more about the presence of God.  That would change a culture!

Numbers 9:18 “At the [a]command of the Lord the children of Israel would journey, and at the command of the Lord they would camp; as long as the cloud stayed above the tabernacle, they remained encamped.”  We see that when the cloud moved, the Children of Israel moved.  When the cloud stopped, they stopped.  They recognized that they needed the presence of the Lord to be their guide!

 

Now let us fast forward to one of the most amazing stories in the New Testament.  The Gospel of Luke chapter 9.  I get excited just thinking about it.  There is power in that cloud, meaning there is power in the presence of God!   

Luke 9:28-36 “Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His [a]decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.   But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three [b]tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is [c]My beloved Son. Hear Him!”  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone. But they kept quiet and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.

What an amazing account of an even more amazing event!  Let’s think about this for a moment.  Peter, John, and James were asked to go with Jesus up on the mountain to pray.  They knew why they were asked to go with Him, it wasn’t to hang out or have a good time it was specifically to pray.  I find it interesting that in today’s pop culture church atmosphere we think that somehow, we are going to experience the true power of God by just hanging out or having a gathering when that is simply not the case.  If you want the presence of God in your life it must start with prayer!  Now we read that when they got to the top of the mountain and started praying that something happens to them that I would say we are all guilty of…they went to sleep!  Often I will get to a quiet place to read the Word or spend time in prayer and the next thing I know I am sound asleep.  While the disciples were sleeping something amazing is happening right in front of them and they were not even aware of it.  Let’s make sure that we are not sleep walking through our faith.   Many times, God is doing something powerful right in front of us and we don’t even recognize it because we are lulled to sleep by the cares, trials, hobbies, and distractions of this life.   When Peter, John, and James wake up they see something like they have never seen before.  Something powerful and surreal.  Jesus is being transfigured right before their eyes, and Moses and Elijah are there speaking with Him!  Can you imagine?  There are things that God does in our lives where we don’t even know what to think…that’s ok.   It was good for them to be there.  Sometimes God allows us to be in places to see His presence and His power and just like with the disciples it is good that we are there.  I look back to the times in my life that I have been fortunate enough to see God’s power on display and those are the times that have changed my life.  It was good that I was there.  I can’t even imagine what Peter, John, and James must have felt like at this moment.  Probably nervousness, excitement, wonder, fear, and many other emotions, I am sure.  We don’t always have to grasp what God is doing, just trust Him while He does it.  We don’t need to be able to understand or contain God’s presence, we just need to be in it. 

This brings us to the cloud.   The Bibles says that a cloud came and overshadowed them, and that they were afraid as they entered the cloud.  Now remember what the cloud represents, the presence of God!  They were afraid as the entered the cloud, or as they entered the presence of God.  Have you ever felt nervous or afraid when you feel the presence of God approaching?  If you answered yes, then I want you to know that is perfectly ok.  When God’s presence comes upon us it is literally something that is completely out of our hands and as a matter of fact that exactly the way it needs to be.  We have a way of messing things up.   The disciples were fearful as they entered God’s presence because it was something they had never seen or experienced before.  The times that I have been nervous entering the presence of God is because it was something new and that I had never experienced before.   The fact is that they didn’t have to understand it all they just needed to trust God and be in His presence.  Now notice that once the cloud covered them, they heard the voice of God!  The Lord gave them exact instructions when they entered the cloud.  Why do we need to enter the cloud, or be in God’s presence, because that is when we hear the voice of the Lord!  Are you needing direction in your life?  If you are the answer is clear…humble yourself and seek the Face of God and enter the cloud.  Allow the presence of God to fill your life because in that you will begin to hear God’s instructions and directions like never before.  There is great power in being in the presence of God!  Nothing can withstand the power of God’s presence.  Enter the cloud!