“Rainbows are God’s reminder of His endless covenant with every living creature.”~ Genesis 9:16
As a child, I became enamored by magical and mystical
stories, always hoping they were true. For example, rainbows were God's painted
graffiti, random perfection against gloomy skies. After a storm, I’d race my bike
towards that seven-colored arch, hoping to find the end with the pot of gold;
imagining what I could do with that newfound wealth.
I returned home disappointed
every time.
Later I learned that a
rainbow is an “optical illusion” only appearing when viewed from the right
angle relative to its light source. Its nearly one million colors are
impossible to differentiate with the human eye. Instead, we can only see Isaac Newton’s
seven hues: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
I gazed quizzically
out the window. Its artistic banner stretched as open hands reaching into our backyard;
a celestial bridge woven with threads of radiant light and dreamlike hues.
I hurried outside. Its magic still lived in my heart.
I’d be lying to you if I denied looking for that elusive
pot at either end. But in my pointless search, a thought struck me like a
thunderbolt. Rainbows have something better than material riches at the end. They
represent the glory of God on Earth.
The rainbow gained popularity in recent years as certain
ideological groups adopted it as their official logo. However, God already
assigned meaning to this celestial stunner.
The very first mention of a “rainbow” in Western literature
can be found in the Bible when God spoke to Noah after the great flood. In
Genesis 9, He vowed to restrain His wrath, which must have provided needed
reassurance to Noah and his family. It reminded them of His love and care for
them, even during the most devastating of times.
The real lesson from the rainbow in my front yard made
God’s promise real. Centuries later, we know that rainbows are still a sign of
that ancient covenant. Those ethereal arches are meant to remind us of God’s grace,
love, and forgiveness – believers and non-believers alike.
The brightest rainbows appear after the darkest storms.
When we face a troubling challenge and think everything is upside down, He
paints a joy-filled rainbow for us, just like He guided Noah and kept him safe
through all the uncertainty on their voyage. We can turn to Him when we’re sad,
frightened, or just not sure what to do.
Like the promise He made to Noah, He makes a rainbow
promise to us in Jesus – that He will always forgive our sins and love us no
matter what.
