Prepare for the Storm; Expect the Rainbow Part 3

Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Storms have come, are coming, and will continue to come because we live in a fallen world.  If we have gathered and placed provisions in the ark of our relationship with the Lord, we can ride out the storm.  I am sure that Noah’s ride on the ark was uncomfortable at best, but he was looking beyond the flood to the rainbow.  

Likewise, we must look beyond our circumstances to our hope.  We must expect the rainbow to come after the storm.  I have learned to ask God for discernment to recognize the blessings because they seldom come in the form I have imagined.  

We must remember Ecclesiastes 3:11: “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” Grammatically speaking, that sentence is written in perfect tense.  That means it has already been accomplished.  Before the creation, God had already set in order our victory. 

Romans 8:28 assures us of the blessings that come when we navigate the vicissitudes of life holding the hand of our God. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” 

Returning to Genesis 8:12-16:  And God said: "This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow 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; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.'' 

Because we are descendants of Noah, that covenant belongs to us as well.   

Scientifically, we know about rainbows.  We know that droplets of water can act as prisms and bend the rays of light so that all seven colors are visible.  Let’s analyze the rainbow spiritually.  Although we generally see only one arc of the rainbow, the rainbow is actually a circle.  It is a perfect shape, without beginning for end.  It is a picture of the infinity of God who is the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end. 

Once when I was on a flight overseas, the pilot spoke over the intercom and literally commanded us to open the window shades and see the view.  We were above a rainbow and could see the circle in its entirety.  We spontaneously began clapping and cheering. People were shouting hallelujah and amen. 

We can see 7 colors in the rainbow.  Isaiah 11:2-3 describes the 7 spirits of God. We see the number 7 repeated many times in scripture.  7 is the number of perfection, of completion. 7 is the number of God who is perfect, who is complete.  The old hymn says it so well.  “Jesus is all I need.” 

 In Ecclesiastes 3:11, Solomon reminds us that God has made all things beautiful in His time.  Beautiful is not a synonym for pretty.   “Beautiful” actually means full of goodness.  We must pray for the discernment to see the goodness of God even as we prepare for the storms of life, even as we walk hand in hand through the storms, and especially after the storms. 

In this world, we will have storms.  We must prepare for those storms. Walking in the truth of the Lord, we can weather the storms.  We must knowingly expect and discern the goodness of God that is promised in the rainbow. 

In spite of all the problems in this world and in our personal lives, in spite of the fear mongers who surround us, this is the day the Lord has made.  Armed with the knowledge of Who God is and what He has promised, we can rejoice and be glad in it. 

And all God's people said, "Amen."