Daily Word of Grace # 151 (October 13, 2020)
Recently the gifted singer Johnny Nash died. His biggest hit was the 1970 pick-me-up classic Jimmy Cliff song “I Can See Clearly Now”, one of the most uplifting songs you will ever hear: “I can see clearly now the rain is gone. I can see all obstacles in my way. Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind. It’s gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day…Oh, yes I can make it now the pain is gone. All of the bad feelings have disappeared. Here is that rainbow I’ve been praying for. It’s gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day…Look straight ahead, there’s nothing but blue skies. I can see clearly now the rain is gone.” This song overflows with hope, especially for those enveloped in dark clouds that have them blind and bumping into obstacles they cannot see, for those mired in bad feelings, for those for their pain to be gone, for those praying for a rainbow to appear and blue skies to return. Instead of looking down, or looking at the clouds and darkness all around, “look straight ahead” because off in the distance there is nothing but blue skies. Along these lines in the Letter to the Hebrews we read, “Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2). Jesus is not only with you right now, but has cleared every obstacle in your way, and in time will bring you to “a bright, bright sunshiny day.”
Love and Prayers,
Dave