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The Rainbow Promise


The rainbow stretches across the sky….


Where the birds do fly.

They witness God’s promise on high

Do we renew our Covenant, a rebirth?

Or cast our eyes down on earth.

As the rainbow stretches across the sky
(Photograph taken by Rebekah Combs in Omaha with the twitter: Wind gusts up to 40mph blowing snow and cars everywhere. And with all that a rainbow. Amazing!)

  • That one twitter from my granddaughter, driving to work early in the morning, began my thoughts racing with many questions:
  • How many messages does God send that are not received?
  • Is there a time in our lives when God knows we need a rainbow, a promise of hope and a reminder of trust in the everlasting God?
  • Why does a rainbow go away?
  • Where does the rainbow go?
  • Is the color or the scientific reasoning all there is to a rainbow?
  • Since God has a storehouse of hail, does He also have a storehouse of rainbows?
  • Are there different ways of seeing a ‘rainbow’ in our lives just when we need it?
  • When we see a rainbow, do we see it with our eyes or our hearts? Do we see the individual colors? Or do we remember God’s promise to Noah? Or is it just a symbol to be glanced at with no thought.

Since the rainbow is sent from God as a covenant – I went to the source, God’s Word and found six references to 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

Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between

God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” Genesis 9:16

Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking. Ezekiel 1:28

And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. Revelation 4:3

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. Revelation 10:1

The descriptions in Ezekiel and Revelation are vivid because we know how we see a rainbow. Is there something about the radiance of the rainbow that we miss when we see the rainbow from our vantage point? When we will see the rainbow from Heaven, will it have more brilliance and the essence of our Heavenly Father that we cannot see from earth? A hidden brilliance…

A rainbow is a message from God for Noah and all people since it was first created. Each time we see a rainbow, we rejoice. When scientists see a rainbow, they dissect its colors, the way that the rainbow was created through natural laws of our earth. Even someone has given the meaning of each color in the rainbow:

  • Violet – infinity. It also symbolizes wisdom and self-mastery. The indigo color is known to be the bridge between the finite and the infinite.
  • Blue – the color of Divinity – peace and openness
  • Green – symbolizes harmony, balance, growth and good health.
  • Yellow – clarity of thought and energy.
  • Orange – thoughtful and creative.
  • Red – passion, energy, vibrancy and success.
These are designated by man. When we walk with God in our life, all these qualities become a part of who we are.
When I was a child, Mother pointed out a rainbow one day, and told me the story of Noah. Now I wonder if my ancestors, being farmers always spotted a rainbow in the sky. They kept their eyes on the skies, waiting for clouds to bring rain to water the crops. A promise from God.
Now when I look into the skies, I look for clouds. Clouds are considered harbingers of rain, hail, snow, but I see clouds as promises….God’s promises of hope and His love for us. And more than that….clouds, the holders of rainbows has another promise: The second coming of our Lord and Savior.
“At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.” Matthew 24:30

Yes, I look into the skies searching for clouds to see God’s promises….and in life, clouds can be harbingers of trouble, discomfort and disruption. But I prefer to see in life the rainbows of hope and joy and know that the rainbows p

ainted in the sky are promises of eternal life with my Lord Jesus.

(Thank you, Rebekah Emily-Manjiri Combs, for helping me to think thoughts I did not know before. You are one of my ‘rainbows’!)