The God of the Cloud

Each morning I arise and from my tent I see

The great Cloud at the center of camp which torments me

For days uncounted, the Cloud has not moved

So I sit in my tent, scraping by on daily food

The God of the Cloud has given his law

“Move when the Cloud moves,” but no movement I saw

My heart grows anxious, “Why do we sit in this arid land?”

I long for the promised milk, yet I’m held back by a command

I look again from my tent, the Cloud has not moved

So again I sit, scraping by on daily food

Wondering, Waiting, Wishing; I want to just go!

The God of the Cloud is excessively slow!

To my neighbor, I complained about the unmoving Cloud

To which he rebuked me and shouted aloud,

“Where is your faith, my fretful friend?

Were you not delivered from slavery’s end?”

“In power and might the God of the Cloud has acted,

In sniveling and complaining you have reacted”

“Repent, repent,” he shouted aloud

And I fell on my face, in the fear of the God of the Cloud

With my face in the sand, then I remembered

How with power and might the God of the Cloud thundered

“Let my people go!” and released were we

I remembered feeling free when he split the sea

I remembered the mana that fell each day

I remembered all the great acts; my heart pierced by His ray

Now as I look out my tent, the Cloud still has not moved

Yet now I sit and wait, rejoicing in daily food

The God of the Cloud is not slow as some think

Instead He teaches by bringing us to the brink

The end of ourselves is the beginning of Him

And to those who wait, sweet milk is poured, overflowing the brim

~Soli Deo gloria