Rainbows

“When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” -Gen. 9:16 Jeanie and I walked out of a restaurant a few weeks ago, looked up and a phenomenal rainbow consumed the evening sky. People were pulling out their cell phones and snapping (pressing?) pictures like crazy. It was beautiful and perfect and amazing. A woman in the parking lot commented, “We’ll all have good luck now.” Good luck? The rainbow promises more than luck. It assures us that when we’re at our worst and we turn and run, God will never run the other direction. Rainbows are sweet and pretty and nice, but they are serious business as well. They are God’s created promise that He will stay with us. Rainbows are God’s reminder that He will never break His covenant with us. I read about rainbows tonight. The world of science has always marveled at rainbows. The rainbow is not located at a specific distance, but comes from an optical illusion caused by any water droplets viewed from a certain angle relative to a light source. Thus, a rainbow is not an object and cannot be physically approached. Indeed, it is impossible for an observer to see a rainbow from water droplets at any angle other than the customary one of 42 degrees from the direction opposite the light source. Even if an observer sees another observer who seems "under" or "at the end of" a rainbow, the second observer will see a different rainbow—farther off—at the same angle as seen by the first observer. Amazing. When sunlight encounters a raindrop, part is reflected but part enters, being refracted at the surface of the raindrop. When this light hits the back of the drop, some of it is reflected off the back. When the internally reflected light reaches the surface again, once more some is internally reflected and some is refracted as it exits the drop. This forms the rainbow. Lot’s of detail, I know. But God is a God of detail. Just read the Old Testament description of the building of the temple, for instance. Second Chronicles lists all of Solomon’s intricate details regarding his building of God’s house. He set up ten basins, ten golden lampstands, bronze altars, etc. The list goes on and on. We tend to fast forward through all the specifics. But there’s a point to it all. God knows what He’s doing. He is a perfect, detailed God. He is a God of design and order. He does everything perfectly. He does everything exactly right. He does everything in intricate detail. He is the definition of exact. When He created the earth and animals, he had it all set up without blemish. Scripture tells us in Genesis, “He saw it all as good.” But one thing was missing: man. So God invented man and God’s “perfection” has been tested ever since. As sin entered the picture, Man rebelled. God had enough and wiped the slate of His creation clean but left the legacy to Noah to start again. He didn’t have to do that. He could have cancelled His “experiment” here on planet earth and moved on to Pluto or Mars. But His grace prevailed. God was and is perfect, but He is also graceful. Perfection plus grace always equals love. So God acted. He first set up the system of sacrifice, that man might be able to earn his place with God. But ultimately He set up the better system of grace. He sent His son Jesus to die on the cross for that sin so, by His grace, man might have everlasting life with Him. I would imagine that if someone had looked up on that terrible yet beautiful day of crucifixion, he might have seen a rainbow off in the distance. It would have been God’s reminder that He would not abandon His people. It’s why He sacrificed His Son Jesus. May we all remind each other of His grace and love. May we all be reminded whenever we see a rainbow, that God has made His ultimate move of grace. The next move is the responsibility of every man to confess his sin and yield to the love of God. Don’t get lost in the storm of life… …but, instead, get caught up in the rainbow. By Eric Joseph Staples © www.lifeaid101.com