The Rainbow

‘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

From Toni Clark:

After working from home, I am trying each day to go out for a walk around the village (observing social distancing of course) to get some fresh air and a bit of exercise.  Today as I was walking I noticed something different, in quite a few windows of houses there are pictures of rainbows drawn by children, placed so that you can see them as you walk by. There are even two huge ones in the local Co-op window.

They made me smile, but more importantly they reminded me God’s promise to Noah after the flood.  Many will be familiar with the story of Noah and the Ark, a story from our childhoods, the animals went in two by two and it rained for 40 days and 40 nights.

But just imagine what Noah and his family went through, from Noah being told by God to build the Ark, to getting all the animals corralled in and then waiting as the rain fell, wondering what on earth was happening, perhaps thinking would they survive and if they did what would the world be like when it was all over…… and then the waters receded and as Noah leaves the Ark, God promises that he will never again use water as a flood to destroy all life.  

As a reminder of that promise God said the rainbow would be the sign,  Verses 14-15 go on with God saying to Noah “Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.”

We may not be faced with a flood of water but there might be times when you feel overwhelmed by the news reports, the increasingly tightened restrictions and rules we need to abide by, the fear of what might happen to you and your loved ones – a flood of a different kind.

In these times, remember we have the hope and assurance of God’s promise, and know that God never breaks his promises. So if you do go out for your one lot of exercise a day in the coming days and weeks, look out for those rainbows in windows and remember God’s promise and be encouraged and hopeful just as Noah was when he trusted God throughout his time in the Ark as the earth was flooded.