I am a weather geek. No ifs, ands or buts about it. Everything about weather interests me.

So when my daughter sent me her photos of incoming early evening thunderstorms a few nights ago, I just had to write about them.

Those rays of sunlight that are shooting out of the tops of these clouds are called crepusclar rays, from the Latin word “crepusculum,” meaning twilight or dusk. One University of Massachusetts website even called them “Jesus rays.”

But what about the phenomena where the sun’s light appears to set the top of the clouds on fire? There’s no weather term for that, at least not that I could find.

But I have a name for it — the glory of God.

This sight reminds me of all the times in his Word when God used fire from heaven to illustrate his awesome power. The hail of burning sulphur God used to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. The pillar of fire that led Israel during the night to the Promised Land. The fire Elijah called down from heaven to light the offering on the altar and kill the prophets of Baal. Not to mention the chariot of fire that took Elijah to heaven. And how did God choose to show the Holy Spirit resting on each of Jesus’ disciples in power on the day of Pentecost? That’s right – tongues of fire. 

Thanks be to God for this beautiful evening reminder.