WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.540 Many of you do not realize how many hours I spend 00:00:05.540 --> 00:00:10.660 sitting in an aeroplane in the air. Sometimes 00:00:10.660 --> 00:00:12.599 when I think of it, it's almost frightening. 00:00:13.460 --> 00:00:20.980 100 ,000 miles, 200 ,000 miles in the air. I 00:00:20.980 --> 00:00:23.699 would like to know how many hours I have spent 00:00:23.699 --> 00:00:29.460 in the air looking... Down through the clouds. 00:00:30.739 --> 00:00:34.140 Sitting there in my seat in the airplane. And 00:00:34.140 --> 00:00:39.280 the plane is flying through the clouds. I sit 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:47.000 there and I think and I think. Oh, I shall always 00:00:47.000 --> 00:00:49.939 remember the day when I was sitting in the plane 00:00:49.939 --> 00:00:55.539 and opening my Bible. And it wasn't just a happenstance. 00:00:57.059 --> 00:01:01.640 But I saw that glorious verse found in the 37th 00:01:01.640 --> 00:01:07.200 chapter of Job, the 16th verse of that 37th chapter. 00:01:08.620 --> 00:01:14.980 Dost thou know the balancing of the clouds? The 00:01:14.980 --> 00:01:17.980 wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge. 00:01:19.459 --> 00:01:27.019 All the balancing of the clouds. And sometimes 00:01:27.019 --> 00:01:36.939 those clouds are full of rain. What a comfort 00:01:36.939 --> 00:01:42.359 it is to know that no strange hand hath veiled 00:01:42.359 --> 00:01:45.000 our sky. It's the most wonderful thing in the 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:47.519 world. It's the greatest security that a human 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:52.560 being can know. That while we're sailing through 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:57.790 the clouds, Whether our day is dark, whether 00:01:57.790 --> 00:02:00.209 the rain is falling, whether the sun is shining, 00:02:00.329 --> 00:02:06.650 regardless of circumstances, of conditions that 00:02:06.650 --> 00:02:11.949 we may be faced with, no strange hand hath veiled 00:02:11.949 --> 00:02:18.069 our sky. Sure, the shadows have gathered, but 00:02:18.069 --> 00:02:21.210 they've gathered at the will of him that we trust. 00:02:22.270 --> 00:02:24.689 And I want you to know something. If you are 00:02:24.689 --> 00:02:27.930 God's child, if you are living in the very center 00:02:27.930 --> 00:02:31.750 of His will, if you have committed unto Him body, 00:02:31.770 --> 00:02:35.729 soul, and spirit, if you have gotten to the place 00:02:35.729 --> 00:02:39.590 in your consecration where you literally have 00:02:39.590 --> 00:02:43.530 no will of your own, you have completely turned 00:02:43.530 --> 00:02:50.259 your life, your will, over to Him. and you're 00:02:50.259 --> 00:02:55.840 guided by him, then not one sorrow have fallen 00:02:55.840 --> 00:03:02.300 us, or can befall, save by his appointing, and 00:03:02.300 --> 00:03:04.340 for the fulfillment of his merciful purpose. 00:03:05.060 --> 00:03:08.819 Sometimes we're too blind, we're too feeble to 00:03:08.819 --> 00:03:16.219 understand the balancing of the clouds. The wondrous 00:03:16.219 --> 00:03:24.479 works of him which is perfect in knowledge. But 00:03:24.479 --> 00:03:27.360 we know that his name is love, and behind all 00:03:27.360 --> 00:03:36.000 the mystery is the light that changeth not. The 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:42.919 balancing of the clouds. And remember, when we 00:03:42.919 --> 00:03:49.719 face the balancing of the clouds, It's the wondrous 00:03:49.719 --> 00:03:56.500 work of him which is perfect knowledge. He has 00:03:56.500 --> 00:04:01.300 perfect knowledge. Perfect wisdom. We cannot 00:04:01.300 --> 00:04:04.680 always understand. But one thing I found out 00:04:04.680 --> 00:04:11.520 a long time ago. Sword trial makes common Christians 00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:19.350 into uncommon saints. and fitsome for being used 00:04:19.350 --> 00:04:25.490 in uncommon service. I don't care who you may 00:04:25.490 --> 00:04:28.709 be. You may be the most common person in the 00:04:28.709 --> 00:04:32.310 whole world, the most ordinary person in the 00:04:32.310 --> 00:04:39.329 world. But God can take that life of yours and 00:04:39.329 --> 00:04:47.329 change you from the most common Christian. into 00:04:47.329 --> 00:04:54.550 one of the most beautiful, into an uncommon saint. 00:04:55.910 --> 00:05:01.550 And when he has made you into an uncommon saint, 00:05:01.910 --> 00:05:11.170 he'll use you into an uncommon service. You've 00:05:11.170 --> 00:05:13.970 heard me say it over and over again. It isn't 00:05:13.970 --> 00:05:17.360 silver vessels. It isn't... golden vessels that 00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:22.560 he asks for, but he wants yielded vessels. And 00:05:22.560 --> 00:05:29.639 sometimes when those clouds are thick and dark 00:05:29.639 --> 00:05:35.540 and the storm comes, it isn't the easiest thing 00:05:35.540 --> 00:05:41.459 to continue to yield to the one who has perfect 00:05:41.459 --> 00:05:48.120 knowledge. But we have to trust him with a perfect 00:05:48.120 --> 00:05:53.399 trust and a perfect confidence. Oh, the day had 00:05:53.399 --> 00:05:57.920 closed with heavy showers. And I have a few plants 00:05:57.920 --> 00:06:03.459 outside of my patio. And one especially was a 00:06:03.459 --> 00:06:06.040 beautiful thing. I had watched it as the bud 00:06:06.040 --> 00:06:11.209 had opened and now was in full bloom. When the 00:06:11.209 --> 00:06:15.129 rain came and the storm came, I saw that one 00:06:15.129 --> 00:06:17.490 beautiful flower that I admired for its beauty 00:06:17.490 --> 00:06:24.129 and had watched it so long. And now suddenly, 00:06:24.430 --> 00:06:30.689 to the pitiless storm, it seemed as though the 00:06:30.689 --> 00:06:36.490 flower fell, shut up its petals, dropped its 00:06:36.490 --> 00:06:41.459 head, and I thought, All of its glory, all of 00:06:41.459 --> 00:06:44.420 its beauty is gone. And now I just have to wait 00:06:44.420 --> 00:06:49.759 until next year to see it bloom again. But the 00:06:49.759 --> 00:06:53.860 night passed. The morning came. The sun shone 00:06:53.860 --> 00:06:57.279 again. The morning brought strength to the flower. 00:06:57.620 --> 00:07:01.060 The light looked at it. And the flower looked 00:07:01.060 --> 00:07:04.839 at the light. And when I saw it again, there 00:07:04.839 --> 00:07:10.980 it was. It had made contact. It had made communion. 00:07:11.319 --> 00:07:16.139 And power had passed into the flower. It held 00:07:16.139 --> 00:07:20.139 up its head. It opened its petals. It regained 00:07:20.139 --> 00:07:24.779 its glory and seemed more beautiful than ever 00:07:24.779 --> 00:07:30.139 before. I wonder how it took place, this feeble 00:07:30.139 --> 00:07:34.220 thing coming into contact with the storm thing. 00:07:36.240 --> 00:07:40.579 And then, when it looked as though it was a defeated 00:07:40.579 --> 00:07:47.939 thing, it again came into contact with a strong 00:07:47.939 --> 00:07:54.759 thing and gained its strength and its beauty. 00:07:56.259 --> 00:07:59.839 I cannot tell you how it is that I should be 00:07:59.839 --> 00:08:03.660 able to receive... into my being a power to do 00:08:03.660 --> 00:08:07.300 and to bear my communion with God. But I know 00:08:07.300 --> 00:08:12.060 it's a fact. I know that I need not be defeated 00:08:12.060 --> 00:08:15.259 on a single score. I can sit here and tell you 00:08:15.259 --> 00:08:18.800 of a truth, a fact. I'll stake my life on it. 00:08:19.899 --> 00:08:24.740 You do not have to be defeated on a single score 00:08:24.740 --> 00:08:31.920 if you make contact with the Holy Spirit. I don't 00:08:31.920 --> 00:08:34.679 care how great your storm. I don't care what 00:08:34.679 --> 00:08:38.379 the clouds are that you're having to pass through. 00:08:39.740 --> 00:08:43.340 Know that. That's exactly what Paul was talking 00:08:43.340 --> 00:08:49.360 about. Oh, sure, beloved. We know about the great 00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:51.919 compassion of the Lord Jesus Christ, the mercy 00:08:51.919 --> 00:08:57.580 of the Lord. We speak much of the love of God. 00:08:58.789 --> 00:09:01.309 We know exactly what Paul was talking about when 00:09:01.309 --> 00:09:07.049 he talked about the love of God. But he could 00:09:07.049 --> 00:09:11.009 not have lived without the fellowship and the 00:09:11.009 --> 00:09:16.509 communion with the Holy Spirit. There is your 00:09:16.509 --> 00:09:23.519 secret of strength, of victory. That's the reason 00:09:23.519 --> 00:09:26.720 Paul could not have lived. He could not have 00:09:26.720 --> 00:09:29.639 gone through those storms. He could not have 00:09:29.639 --> 00:09:33.299 gone through those testing times. He could not 00:09:33.299 --> 00:09:38.039 have gone through those clouds of his life triumphantly 00:09:38.039 --> 00:09:43.820 had it not been for the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:09:43.899 --> 00:09:48.679 Sure. Does thou know the balancing of the clouds? 00:09:52.560 --> 00:09:58.139 Balancing of the clouds. Over and over again, 00:09:58.299 --> 00:10:03.059 you've heard me say, life is a balance. It's 00:10:03.059 --> 00:10:06.259 never unlimited joy. There's some people, you 00:10:06.259 --> 00:10:10.519 know, think that life should always be unlimited 00:10:10.519 --> 00:10:20.350 joy. Every day, just a glorious picnic. Time 00:10:20.350 --> 00:10:28.509 of great joy. There can be sorrow. And if you 00:10:28.509 --> 00:10:32.389 are a part of humanity, there will be sorrow. 00:10:33.149 --> 00:10:37.809 There'll be disappointment. There'll be tragedy. 00:10:39.610 --> 00:10:44.649 But there will also be the balancing of the clouds. 00:10:45.769 --> 00:10:49.779 As surely as there's a cloud, There'll also be 00:10:49.779 --> 00:10:57.740 the sun. Always know that. And he is the one 00:10:57.740 --> 00:11:01.639 who will balance the clouds, the wondrous works 00:11:01.639 --> 00:11:07.299 of him, which is perfect in knowledge. You don't 00:11:07.299 --> 00:11:09.080 have to worry about the balancing of the clouds. 00:11:09.899 --> 00:11:16.679 The important thing is how you face it and what 00:11:16.679 --> 00:11:20.100 you do with it. It was in my power to balance 00:11:20.100 --> 00:11:23.299 the clouds. I would have every day a beautiful 00:11:23.299 --> 00:11:28.340 sunny day. I would have the temperature just 00:11:28.340 --> 00:11:36.600 right. Never too cold. Never too hot. Just the 00:11:36.600 --> 00:11:45.320 right temperature, you know. I do not... control 00:11:45.320 --> 00:11:52.360 the weather, neither can you, no man can. I cannot 00:11:52.360 --> 00:11:58.100 balance the clouds, neither can you, no man can. 00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:05.860 Dost thou know the balancing of the clouds, the 00:12:05.860 --> 00:12:11.820 wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge? 00:12:13.450 --> 00:12:17.269 He knows exactly how to balance those clouds. 00:12:17.629 --> 00:12:20.750 And the only thing that you and I have to worry 00:12:20.750 --> 00:12:28.009 about is what we do with that tragedy, what we 00:12:28.009 --> 00:12:33.690 do with that suffering, that sorrow, that disappointment 00:12:33.690 --> 00:12:38.509 that is a part of the balancing of these clouds. 00:12:39.730 --> 00:12:43.600 I found out something. Life demands courage. 00:12:45.620 --> 00:12:50.700 And it's just like that. Do you recall how that 00:12:50.700 --> 00:12:53.940 after the death of Moses, the Lord commissioned 00:12:53.940 --> 00:12:56.299 Joshua to lead the children of Israel into the 00:12:56.299 --> 00:12:59.759 promised land? And Joshua, being human, with 00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:05.100 human weaknesses, great hero though he was, must 00:13:05.100 --> 00:13:08.080 have had his fears. For the Lord spoke to him 00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:11.990 in these words, Be strong. and have a good courage. 00:13:13.009 --> 00:13:18.470 Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for 00:13:18.470 --> 00:13:22.330 the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou 00:13:22.330 --> 00:13:27.649 goest. Surely these are among the most reassuring, 00:13:27.669 --> 00:13:32.009 the most meaningful words ever spoken. It's when 00:13:32.009 --> 00:13:36.450 you've heard God's teaching and have realized 00:13:36.450 --> 00:13:39.009 that you're a child of God and have put your 00:13:39.009 --> 00:13:42.809 trust in Him, and have accepted the necessity 00:13:42.809 --> 00:13:47.110 of having faith in him that you've laid hold 00:13:47.110 --> 00:13:50.590 of the courage the person needs for facing life. 00:13:50.789 --> 00:13:54.169 You've got to have courage to face life today. 00:13:55.490 --> 00:14:01.690 Therefore, when we face the future, we must face 00:14:01.690 --> 00:14:07.429 it with courage in the one who is perfect wisdom 00:14:07.429 --> 00:14:12.360 and perfect knowledge. And the courage to live 00:14:12.360 --> 00:14:19.799 well needs a clean foundation. I think we should 00:14:19.799 --> 00:14:22.940 also bear in mind that you cannot be a person 00:14:22.940 --> 00:14:29.320 of courage and at the same time live a soft life. 00:14:30.299 --> 00:14:32.620 I don't know whether I can make myself clear 00:14:32.620 --> 00:14:35.960 or not. You know, like so many other things, 00:14:36.179 --> 00:14:41.639 courage has to be exercised. or some fine day, 00:14:41.820 --> 00:14:45.200 you'll find that you no longer have it. And there's 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:47.860 nothing in the scriptures or in human experience 00:14:47.860 --> 00:14:52.580 to indicate that we can safely permit ourselves 00:14:52.580 --> 00:14:56.799 to get soft. Sometimes I think that's what's 00:14:56.799 --> 00:14:59.580 wrong with the generation in which we're living. 00:15:00.179 --> 00:15:04.100 Our generation has gone soft. If you know what 00:15:04.100 --> 00:15:08.000 I'm trying to say, the generations of today are 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:13.149 not... what you would call the sturdiest that 00:15:13.149 --> 00:15:18.950 ever lived. We must be very careful of the tendency 00:15:18.950 --> 00:15:24.730 to assume that it is necessarily a good thing 00:15:24.730 --> 00:15:29.210 to have it easy. Everybody today is looking for 00:15:29.210 --> 00:15:37.690 the easy way out, an easy life. You know, I'll 00:15:37.690 --> 00:15:42.090 never forget. That father who came to me recently 00:15:42.090 --> 00:15:48.450 and said, my son and my daughter will never have 00:15:48.450 --> 00:15:51.769 to go through what I went through when I was 00:15:51.769 --> 00:15:59.149 their age. No, he said. I was born poor. We didn't 00:15:59.149 --> 00:16:02.330 have two nickels to rub together. He said I had 00:16:02.330 --> 00:16:05.289 to get up at four o 'clock in the morning. And 00:16:05.289 --> 00:16:11.019 it was planned. Stay cold. During the wintertime, 00:16:11.179 --> 00:16:14.620 I had to go out and chop the wood. I had to walk 00:16:14.620 --> 00:16:18.500 five miles through the snow to go to school in 00:16:18.500 --> 00:16:21.379 the winter. I had to work after school. I had 00:16:21.379 --> 00:16:24.240 to work on Saturdays all through my boyhood. 00:16:24.820 --> 00:16:29.960 But my son is not going to have to go through 00:16:29.960 --> 00:16:32.539 any of that. I'll tell you, Miss Coleman, I'll 00:16:32.539 --> 00:16:35.659 never have a child of mine go through what I 00:16:35.659 --> 00:16:40.460 went through. Now that father, with his philosophy 00:16:40.460 --> 00:16:44.519 of trying to spare his son, his children, all 00:16:44.519 --> 00:16:46.139 the hard things that he himself went through, 00:16:46.460 --> 00:16:51.679 is likely to do his son, his children, a big 00:16:51.679 --> 00:17:00.000 disservice. Hardship and difficulty make men 00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:04.569 and women the tough... things that you have to 00:17:04.569 --> 00:17:10.910 face in life are really all too one's good. Of 00:17:10.910 --> 00:17:12.609 course, you don't think about these things when 00:17:12.609 --> 00:17:16.309 you go through them. Indeed, a person ought to 00:17:16.309 --> 00:17:18.289 thank the Lord for the tough things that come 00:17:18.289 --> 00:17:22.529 his way. I can look back and thank God for every 00:17:22.529 --> 00:17:27.190 stone that ever bruised my feet. I mean that. 00:17:28.890 --> 00:17:32.009 When you can sincerely do that, you're making 00:17:32.009 --> 00:17:36.259 real progress in wisdom the people who distinguish 00:17:36.259 --> 00:17:39.920 themselves in human life who rise to big achievements 00:17:39.920 --> 00:17:43.539 and experience the greatest joys are those who 00:17:43.539 --> 00:17:49.880 take difficulty as a challenge and do not let 00:17:49.880 --> 00:17:54.700 it frighten don't let difficulty frighten you 00:17:54.700 --> 00:17:58.920 whatever you do don't let those clouds frighten 00:17:58.920 --> 00:18:05.500 you Dost thou know the balancing of the clouds? 00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:14.900 The balancing of the clouds. The wondrous works 00:18:14.900 --> 00:18:23.160 of him which is perfect in knowledge. Let him 00:18:23.160 --> 00:18:27.559 balance the clouds.