To Him Who Rides Upon the Clouds

Have you ever felt that God was hiding—that you couldn’t find Him or receive an answer from Him to your earnest requests? I have.

Then I searched the scriptures for an explanation. It is apparent that God sometimes hides from people because of their wickedness. (See Deut. 31:16-17, Psalm 13, Psalm 143:7, Isaiah 19:1).

But I knew God had forgiven me and I daily tried to be obedient to Him. Why then would He hide from me?

In my scripture search, I found that “In all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28.) God does love me and is trustworthy (see Jer. 31:3, and 1 John 1:9). Therefore, He must have a good and loving reason to do whatever He is doing.

Years ago I read a book by Merlin R. Carothers about praising God in all circumstances. In it, he quoted an eighteenth century clergyman named William Law: “If anyone could tell you the shortest, surest way to all happiness and perfection, he must tell you to make it a rule to yourself to thank and praise God for everything that happens to you. For it is certain that whatever seeming calamity happens to you, if you thank and praise God for it, you turn it into a blessing . . .” He obviously took Ephesian 5:20 seriously.

Chaplain Carothers adopted this rule and preached about it. Soon people were letting him know of miracles that occurred after they had praised God for their situations and concerns.

Praising God for whatever he is doing,

when we don’t know what He is doing or why,

shows that we trust Him.

Maybe the reason He hides is to teach us to trust Him more.

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(Following is a song I’ve written relating to this subject. I hope to put it on my You Tube channel soon.)

To Him Who Rides Upon the Clouds

To Him who rides upon the clouds, I lift my voice in purest praise.

I know what e’er He has allowed, He’ll use in love my heart to raise.

For He’s forgiven all my sin, redeemed my soul from death and hell.

In goodness, surely, He provides all things I need to serve Him well.

And if I seek Him when He hides, I’ll find He’s faithful to restore

the joy of His redeeming grace, the sunshine of His glorious face,

the peace of knowing He is coming. I’ll be with Him evermore.

––Judith Vander Wege

October 3, 2024