October 9

The Promise after the Storm

I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth (Genesis 9:13).

Scripture: Genesis 9:8-17

Song: “A Shelter in the Time of Storm”

While on vacation, the radar showed a bright red band of severe weather heading toward us. We returned to our rental house and prepared to ride out the storm. Although the sky was black, we dodged the severe weather and were then blessed to see a double rainbow arching over the bay.

While enjoying the view, we were reminded that rainbows are prisms reflecting the sunlight through water vapor. While we were all looking at the same rainbow, we each technically see a slightly different rainbow because we are viewing it from slightly different angles.

God made a covenant with Noah and his family, and used the rainbow as a sign of remembrance, for both God and man, of God’s promise. But this covenant, just like the rainbow, is both a community promise and an individual promise. God made this promise to all of mankind, and He personally makes the promise to each one of us.

As important as community is, we need to appropriate God’s promises personally into our lives. The rainbow is God’s personal invitation for us to join the community of believers in endless praise and thankfulness for what God has done for us in bringing us through all situations in life.

Heavenly Father, You remind us of Your mercy and everlasting love in many ways, but also frequently after a storm, when Your rainbow is in the sky. Let us always turn to You whenever we encounter storms of any kind. In Christ’s name, amen.