The rainbow

Genesis 9:12 (ESV)

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations:

The rainbow is one of the most beautiful meteorological phenomena we can enjoy. Reflected in airborne water droplets, the sun’s rays create an optical miracle.

Growing up I remember seeing a rainbow after a rain shower made me feel happy. I was mostly excited about the fact that the weather was finally getting better and I could do outdoor activities. I still remember after reading the Bible I discovered that the arc of the rainbow signifies much more than simply the end of a spell of bad weather.

The rainbow has to do with the everlasting covenant, or agreement, that God made with all of Noah’s descendants and every living creature on earth after the flood. “Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood.” That was God’s unconditional promise, and the rainbow is God’s beautiful and powerful sign of that promise.

In the Bible we find descriptions of various covenants. All of them foreshadow the ultimate and most important one called the new covenant. Just like the covenant with Noah, the new covenant is an unconditional divine promise. Our Lord Jesus instituted this covenant by his death on the cross. It is a saving covenant of God’s grace, sealing the forgiveness of our sins and God’s special relationship with us.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your new covenant! We trust in Jesus Christ alone for righteousness and the forgiveness of sins. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

A Sign, a Promise, a Reminder

Genesis 9:12-13 (ESV)

12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

God gave Noah a task that seemed impossible to do, but with God’s help, Noah was able to do it. He built a massive boat, filled it with animals from all over the world, and had enough food and supplies to last the length of the trip. Noah had no idea how long the trip would be or where it would take him. He floated through the worst storm in all of history. He did this in obedience to God. He trusted God with everything, and because of this, he and his family were saved.

Have you ever thought about what would have happened if Noah didn’t obey God? We would not be here today! Noah saved the day, and God saved the world.

After being on the ark for over a year, the door was opened. Noah, his family, and all the animals stepped out onto dry land. God had given them new lives. As they ventured out, they saw something up in the sky that nobody had ever seen before. It was a beautiful arch made of different colors; it was a rainbow. This was God’s sign, and his promise to Noah and all of us that he would never destroy the earth with a flood ever again. The rainbow is a beautiful symbol of how much God loves us.

Another beautiful symbol of God’s love for us is the cross. Jesus, God’s only son, died on a wooden cross to take away the evil we are born with. When we believe in our hearts that he gave his life to save us, the bad things we have done are washed away from us. Jesus is our promise to a new life.

Noah’s obedience saved all of humanity. What can our obedience to God and His Word do?

Dear Lord, help us to be obedient to Your word that is the perfect guide for our life. Remind us when we see a rainbow to remember Noah and his obedience to You. Because of his obedience, we are here today. Let the rainbow remind me how much You love us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

What's at the end of your rainbow?

1 Peter 1:4 (ESV)

To an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.

As we celebrate Saint Patrick’s a lot of people think about "luck" of the Irish. It  reminds me how blessed I am.

My rainbow does not lead to a “pot of gold” but to my relationship with my Lord and Savior. That relationship with the Lord entitles me to so much. It's all there waiting for me, just because I have accepted Christ as my Lord.

The wonderful treasure that I find is eternal life and a home in heaven. Wow! Isn't that something to find! People have been searching for centuries and throughout history for the key to long life and to be ageless. I think "eternal life" qualifies, don't you?

Here are some wonderful things waiting for us in heaven.

·       There's Joy There.

Look how the angels rejoice over a soul that accepts Christ. I so want to live in a place of joy. There's so much here on this earth that isn't full of joy. The things in this life on earth can bring so much heartache and heartbreak, but there's a place of joy at the end of my rainbow and I can't wait to embrace that.

·       There's Rest There.

I'm so glad that there's a place waiting for me where there's no trouble and it's a place of rest. This world is full of trouble. Just pick up the newspaper,  check your Facebook page or turn on the TV and you'll see it everywhere. And sometimes I feel so tired and weary, but in heaven that's all gone. God wipes away those tears.

·       God's There.

To me that's just so exciting to know that we will live with the Lord forever. That the King of Glory, the Beginning and the End is there sitting on the throne. We know that now, but just think about being in His presence.

·       There's Beauty There.

Sometimes I see those beautiful places to live on HGTV and I am just in awe at the level of extravagance that some people live, but think about heaven. Hey! There's streets of gold there. We'll be walking on them! The bible also mentions, gates of pearl, jasper walls, jeweled foundations. What extravagance that the Lord went to for us, His children.

·       I Have An Inheritance There.

What a consolation it is to me to know that I'm an heir of Christ. Because I accepted Him into my life, I have an incorruptible inheritance. I don't have to worry about any legal papers being drawn up, wait for a DNA result, or put my trust in a lawyer to prove it. I don't have to be in any doubt that I will receive what's mine at the end of my rainbow. I know heaven is mine because my name is written in the Book of Life. I know the things of this world will not last but there is heaven waiting for me because there was a time and place that I accepted Christ.

·       I'll Have A New Body There.

I don't know about you, but my body here on earth could use a little repair. It's flesh. It's not going to last, but we do have a promise that we will be changed. Philippians talks about our citizenship in heaven and how God will change our bodies.

I love the thought that I have a rainbow that leads to my relationship with the Lord. Eternal life with Christ in a beautiful place--what a thought.

So, what's at the end of your rainbow?

Dear Lord, we thank You for what is waiting for us at the end of the rainbow. Help us take the time to share that great gift with those around us today. In The Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Two thoughts on Saint Patrick's Day

Genesis 9:12-14 (NIV)

12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds.

On this Saint Patrick ’s Day let’s look at two things:

First, Irish

St. Patrick’s Day is correctly associated with Ireland, but St. Patrick himself was not Irish, but British. He might not have even been officially declared a saint. Even so, historians believe he was born around 389 AD near Wales and given the name of Maewyn Succat. Like Daniel and Joseph of the Bible, he was captured and sold into slavery when he was only teenager (16 years old). Life was difficult for slaves. Not only was life difficult, but he was dragged from his home and sent into slavery in another country without his family. Tradition says that as a slave in Ireland he was forced to be a shepherd, herding sheep and pigs. His father had been a church deacon, and his grandfather a clergyman, but by his account Maewyn only turned to religion and prayed out to God when he was in captivity. After six years as a slave he escaped by boat to Britain. He traveled the 200 miles to the ocean and according to some stories either stowed away or booked passage. The boat landed not far from where his parents lived, and one would expect a joyful reunion and for him to remain with his parents. But instead of staying with his family, he traveled to France to study and become a priest. While studying for ministry, he received a vision from God to return to Ireland as a missionary. He only took the name Patrick when he later became a Bishop. It was a great act of forgiveness that he returned to the people who enslaved him in order to share with them the love of Christ. Because of his ministry in Ireland he brought not only Christianity to the whole country, but also an end to slavery. In the same way, through God’s forgiveness and sending of Christ to us we also experience his love and are delivered from our slavery to sin.

If you were captured and put into slavery as a teenager, do you think you might feel called to return to those who enslaved you and work for the salvation of their souls? Is forgiveness easy or difficult? Why is forgiveness an important concept to Christians?

Second, A Pot of Gold at the End of a Rainbow

When you see a rainbow associated with St. Patrick’s Day, it is because there is supposed to be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. According to Irish fairy tales the pot of gold is guarded by a Leprechaun – a short little old man, who lived alone and worked as a shoemaker. You could supposedly find him by the sound of his hammer as he made shoes, and if you managed to catch him you could force him to reveal the location of his treasure of Gold. But leprechauns were clever and if he tricked you to take your eyes off him for even a second he vanished.

The rainbow in the Bible doesn’t lead us to a pot of Gold, but was intended to lead us to God. For the Christian, our “Pot of Gold” lies in heaven, in eternity with God because of Jesus. Earthly treasures are fleeting and incomparable to the joy of knowing Christ. (Ecclesiastes 5:19-20; Matthew 6:19-21) We can find the original significance of the rainbow in Genesis 9:12-14 “And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.”

St. Patrick was quite successful at evangelism and traveled the length of Ireland setting up schools, churches and monasteries. In response, the Celtic druids apparently managed to stir up enough trouble to get him arrested several times. Each time he escaped, and after 30 years he was quite instrumental in converting much of Ireland to Christianity.

Will you let God use you today?

Dear Lord, we thank You for those who served You faithfully even when things looked bleak. Thanks for their courage. We pray for that same courage today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.